Sir, – Having just been subjected to the ludicrous spectacle of Government TDs with no previous history of objecting to the Seanad utterly failing to convince us of the necessity for its abolition, it appears we are now going to be forced to listen to the same party mouthpieces, with no record whatsoever of gay rights advocacy, desperately trying to convince us that gay marriage is the civil rights issue of this generation. God between us and constitutional crusades! – Yours, etc,
FINBAR O’CONNOR,
Claude Road,
Drumcondra,
Dublin 9.
Sir, – I am bemused by the position of the Roman Catholic church on the planned referendum on gay marriage (News Agenda, November 6th). It seems it thinks that allowing gay people to marry will somehow harm or even prevent marriages between men and women. How could the marriage of my gay neighbour or colleague to their partner of choice, whom they love and cherish, do anything to harm my own heterosexual marriage?
On the contrary, allowing gay marriage will enhance and add stability to society, and strengthen the role of marriage by including those 5 per cent or so of adults who up to now have been denied it. As for the role of mothers and fathers in bringing up children, all any child needs to thrive is the love and care of one or more responsible adults.
The church does not rail against the bringing up of children by widowed men, hence the gender of the caring parent is clearly not an issue in its view, nor has it ever decried the bringing up of children in women-only households – which has been common throughout human history.
A happy marriage between a man and a woman based on mutual respect and love is a wonderful thing and, I would agree, currently the most important institution in society. An equally happy and respectful marriage between two men, or two women, will be just as important an institution in society in time to come, and will create more families for children to thrive in. I commend the main political parties for supporting a change in the Constitution to allow this. – Yours, etc,
Dr RACHEL CAVE,
Knocknacarra Park,
Galway.
Sir, – And there I was unpacking the dress. – Yours, etc,
ADRIAN GOODWIN,
Clarke’s Bridge, Cork.