Chaplains and the State

A chara, – Eugene Tannam (April 14th) wonders if a shovel and a DNA strand are all that atheists might offer a terminally ill person. As it happens, a shovel would be perfectly sufficient for me, and furthermore I would never dream of asking the State to pay for it. Perhaps Mr Tannam might do the rest of us the same courtesy as he advertises a stairway to heaven around the wards?

Nobody suggested banning chaplains from hospitals. Only that churches might fund their own salesmen instead of invoicing the State. – Is mise,

JOHN HAMILL,

Castleblayney,

Co Monaghan.