Madam, - Róisín Ingle writes about watching a Scientology presentation and says that she felt "scared in the way people who'd never heard of Catholicism might be if they wandered into Mass during the water-into-wine bit" (Magazine, February 10th). I take it that she is referring to the Consecration, which is not a change of water into wine but rather a change of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus.
She also writes: "the notions of virgin birth, transubstantiation and some bloke in Rome being unable to put a moral foot wrong make me laugh just as much, if not more. Being longer established doesn't make it more credible." There is a misunderstanding here of papal infallibility, which is not about "being unable to put a moral foot wrong", which implies someone who always acts perfectly, but rather being able to define a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.
The thrust of her article appears to be that the doctrines of Catholicism are as far-fetched and unbelievable as those of Scientology. Actually she fails to mention two central beliefs of Christianity, which are even more astounding than anything in Scientology: the belief that Jesus is fully human and fully divine and the belief that Jesus rose from the dead.
In his Concluding Unscientific Postscript, the Danish Christian existentialist, Kierkegaard, gives a definition of faith which I think is helpful to both the Christian and the agnostic points of view: "Faith is precisely the contradiction between the infinite passion of the individual's inwardness and the objective uncertainty".
By concentrating only on the second part of this definition, "the objective uncertainty", Róisín Ingle misses the beauty and truth of the first part. - Yours, etc,
PAUL DALY, Bayside Boulevard North, Dublin 13.
Madam, - Róisín Ingle obviously has a problem with the Catholic Church, but that does not give her the right to rubbish the sincerely held beliefs of many people in this country. Such offensive and prejudiced views have no place in a quality newspaper. - Yours, etc,
ROSE MARIE DOYLE, Parkmore, Roscrea, Co Tipperary.
Madam, - For the record, there is no "Christ figure", or Christ-like figure, in Scientology theology. Thus nobody has been appointed to such a role in Scientology, nor will anyone be appointed to such a role in the future. Claims to the contrary are untrue.
Scientology was founded on the teaching that each person is an immortal spiritual being that has lived many lifetimes, and whose evident decline can be reversed. The Scientology religion is based on that foundation and on its teachings and practices, which lead to spiritual enlightenment.
Scientology has grown from zero to millions in just over 50 years and has more than 7,500 churches, missions and groups in 160 countries. In addition, Scientologists fund the largest NGO human rights education programme in the world, the biggest private drug rehab and drug education network in the world and the largest NGO literacy improvement programme across the globe. These are interesting facts. - Yours, etc,
GERARD RYAN, Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin, Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1.