Madam, - Áilín Doyle (May 19th) claims that the Pope's opinions on homosexuality are offensive, and that Kevin Myers's defence of the Pope's right to state his beliefs are equally offensive (An Irishman's Diary, May 12th). Once again, the word "offensive" is used as a means of ending a debate.
Implicit in her letter is the idea that these opinions should not be expressed. She writes: "Such statements fuel homophobic tendencies which in turn can lead to violence against homosexual people." Making "such statements" is not a crime; having "homophobic tendencies" is not a crime; but committing violence against anyone is. There is a clearly defined point at which the law is broken. Everything else is a matter of the person's right to hold and express his own opinions, regardless of how unjustifiable those opinions are.
This is recognized in article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There is no such thing as the right to not be offended. - Yours, etc,
LUKE MURPHY, Toronto, Canada