A chara, – Breda O’Brien raises a serious issue about social media and the effects it can have on young people (Opinion & Analysis, July 19th); Declan Kelly uses it as a chance to go off on a tangent about religion and the indoctrination of children (Letters, July 22nd); I point this out (July 23rd) and Kevin Butler responds by asking why I don’t join Mr Kelly on his tangential journey as he had “raised a serious point” that “merits an answer” (July 24th). Serious or not, it is off topic. Mr Butler may think it is productive to turn every debate into an opportunity to have a go at religion; I think it better to deal with each issue on its own merits without distraction or diversion. The latter allows us to have many interesting discussions while the former results in every debate being a rather boring footnote to a single seemingly endless one. – Is mise,
Revd PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny