Dear Editor,

Further to Joseph Armstrong's piece in E&L of March 12th, the plan to include religion as an exam subject in the school curriculum is laudable indeed. It is axiomatic to say that there is a fall-off in attendance at religious services, and this surely is largely due to ignorance of the significance of religion in our daily lives.

From time immemorial mankind has believed in the supernatural, in eternity, and in life after death. All religions have always had these three in common, and all, except Judaism, have believed in a God who came to live on earth before returning to eternity.

There is no need to worry unduly about a particular religious ethos - to achieve a true appreciation of these basic facts would not only give ample material for exams at any level, but would inspire the average mind to enquire further into particular elaborations. At that stage only suitably qualified teachers would have a receptive audience to discuss their own interpretation and extension of the basics.

An understanding of the blend of the temporal with the eternal in every human being would induce deeper awareness and culture. Education would become a hobby and an end in itself instead of just a job qualification. Yours,

Killarney, Co Kerry.