Madam, – Secularism is belief in the freedom from religious imposition of any kind by the government. In Ireland this is specifically the belief that the Catholic majority do not have the right to impose their religion on religious or non-religious minorities. So when Irish politicians speak about needing overt religious displays in government buildings, they are generally speaking of Catholic displays.
John Bruton (Home News, November 17th) contends that it is unrealistic, an example of relentless secular tyranny, and an “error of immoderation” to expect him, as a politician, to work somewhere without such displays, and yet millions of people do work every day in offices and factories which are entirely neutral religious spaces.
To take seriously the idea that sticking doggedly to this secular principle would lead to the “breakdown of the pluralism that is required for democracy to function” would require a very good explanation as to how a crucifix displayed on the wall of a government building demands respect for the right to hold a different religious belief, or how the lack of such a display would bring about the end of democracy. – Yours, etc,