Sir, – AR Bell (October 1st) hits the nail on the head by referring to a "silenced" majority within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. They must be the people that the Rev Brian Kennaway (October 1st) has so publicly invited to leave.
The appalling situation is that many are doing just that, as the church’s annual statistics proclaim, year on year.
The innumerable divisions of the past, referred to by Mr Kennaway brought no benefit to either Irish or Scottish Presbyterians, so why invite the current generation to repeat them?
This is not a time for intransigence – instead we must learn to disagree agreeably! – Yours, etc,
STEVEN C SMYRL,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.
A chara, – Even if one accepts that the Bible is true, there’s the question of interpretation and translation.
Jewish scholars can spend their whole lives discussing and debating the Talmud without ever reaching a definitive conclusion so I wouldn’t bet on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s certainty.
With regard to same-sex marriage, are we really supposed to believe that an entity capable of creating a universe (or even multiverses) spends time worrying about whether two same-gendered people who love each other can get married?
I can conceive of a God who exists but not one that that’s so petty minded. – Is mise,
MICHAEL ZEHSE,
London.