Madam, - Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority, really has lost the run of himself (Opinion & Analysis, December 6th).
He may talk about the nine grounds of equality legislation but in practice he behaves as if there are eight. Where does religion appear in his equality agenda other than as a bogey man? It is his job to promote equality and yet here he is singling out a specific religion and attacking its beliefs in a newspaper.
Catholics are entitled to believe what they believe. They are entitled to present those beliefs, argue them, and hand on those beliefs to others, including in Catholic schools. Mr Crowley talks about celebrating diversity and accepting difference; is he prepared to accept and celebrate a religion which teaches that homosexual acts are sinful and that the condition is disordered? If I applied for a job at the Equality Authority and indicated at interview that I was a practising Catholic who believed what my Church teaches on homosexuality, would he employ me - or would he discriminate against me because of my religion?
By contributing to a more hostile cultural context for Catholics, Mr Crowley contributes to an environment that is permissive of the abuse, hostility, discrimination against and exclusion of Catholics. He is entitled to his views, of course, but his comments have the effect of undermining the self-worth of Catholics and contributing to their greater invisibility.
This must also be of broader concern, given the cultural impact of the Equality Authority and its statutory role. The Equality Authority is a significant cultural institution. It influences, shapes and communicates a significant part of the value system of Irish society. A value system that deems Catholics to be problematic and deviant damages any ambition we might have for equality on the ground of religion.
Mr Crowley's comments reflect an understanding of religious belief that raises serious questions about his capacity to combat discrimination and to promote equality on the religious ground. Perhaps it is time for him to consider his position. - Yours, etc,
CHRISTOPHER McCAMLEY, Wheaton Hall, Drogheda, Co Louth.
Madam, - I would like to thank Frank Farrell for his letter of December 2nd. Never before have I seen so succinctly crystallised the gamut of rhetorical devices employed so ardently by many hard-line Catholics in vituperation of their imagined enemies in the "gay community" (whatever, indeed, that term may mean) and the nefarious liberal media.
In a bewildering sequence of logical fallacies, pantomime turns of phrase and ludicrous paranoias, Mr Farrell presented a more damning caricature of conservative homophobia than any parodist ever could.
Among the highlights of this pasquinade were the addled and stultifying phrase: "prejudicial and indiscriminate tolerance", the suggestion that reason somehow recommends adherence to 2000-year-old tenets, the assertion that nature is capable of harbouring intentions, and the profoundly injurious implication that all sexual activity declared heterodox by celibate clergy is characterised by the same "defilement" as is paedophilia.
Mr Farrell and others like him do a great service to gay people and the advocacy of gay rights. In a field of debate that needs to progress and shake off the vestiges of obsolete contention, they define the detritus of attitudes firmly debunked and disposed of by all reasonable people. The unmistakable taint of desperation and deviousness that runs through their arguments signals that the front line has passed them by, leaving only bitter, hectoring phantoms in its wake. - Yours, etc,
RONAN HODSON, LGBT Rights Officer, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2.