Madam, - I assume that Cathal Loftus and the Christian Solidarity Party (November 24th) base their opposition to "those involved in dangerous, unhealthy sexual practices" (homosexuals) on The Old Testament verse of Leviticus 18:22. This clearly states that "man shall not lie down with man, as with woman for it is an abomination."
There is a well-known radio talk show psychologist in the US called Dr Laura Schlessinger. Once she received a letter from a listener after she had devoted some airtime to the subject of homosexuals and their "unhealthy sexual practices".
This letter calmly thanked Dr Laura for her information and put a few further questions to the doctor using other scriptural references. I won't quote them directly, but they referred to the sanctioning of slavery, the death penalty for working on the Sabbath, the stoning of disobedient children and a number of other practices that would be abhorrent to most modern Christian people. These can be found mainly in Leviticus and Exodus. Perhaps Christian or other religious groups who object to homosexuality might agree with me that such quotations may have represented the best wisdom of their day, but by any modern and moral standards they are just wrong.
The Constitution of The Republic of Ireland allows Mr Loftus and the members of his party to practise their religious freedom with the full rights and privileges attached to being a citizen of this country. I am not granted the same rights as heterosexuals under this Constitution. I believe I am entitled to them. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID WILKINS, Bray, Co Wicklow
Madam, - Indignant is probably not a strong enough word to describe how I felt when I read the letter from Cathal Loftus of the Christian Solidarity Party. As a homosexual man, I must take issue with such overt, malevolent ignorance. It is the pernicious attitudes of such groups as the Christian Solidarity Party that keeps gay people like myself disenfranchised and battling against the everyday homophobia that becomes re-ignited by such nonsensical, almost demented opinion.
The Taoiseach's call for the same rights for homosexual couples as married couples is a move forward; but it threatens people such as Loftus, who for too long have basked in the conventional warmth of delusion. There is nothing "unhealthy" or "dangerous" about my sexual practices, and it is he who should be persuaded to change his ways and accept that all people, gay and straight, struggle under the same sky and deserve the very basic in human rights. - Yours etc.,
ADRIAN GOODWIN, National University of Ireland, Galway