We all take the road which best suits us

PLEASE allow me to reply to two recent letters (November 5).

Con Hayes rightly takes me to task about a remark concerning the abuse scandals in the Catholic Church. Of course I abhor this kind of behaviour and I apologise for any offence I may have caused. The point I was trying to make — badly, I now realise — is that such things as abuse, rape, murder, etc, arise from the evil that is in us all, and that this is not an argument for or against religion or atheism.

Mr Hayes goes on to give me a lesson in the atrocious behaviour of Christians — notably Catholics — towards the Jews. I agree with almost all his points and I would love if the Church to which I belong would be more ready to take responsibility for these crimes.

The point I was trying to make was that it is difficult to establish that Hitler, though technically a Catholic by baptism, was in any sense a Catholic in the normal sense of the term; most of his utterances on Catholicism after he came to power showed hatred for the Church.

I do not wish to comment on the Fr Maciel case though the handling of it certainly leaves questions unanswered.

Andrew Doyle, meanwhile, may have misunderstood my point about baptism. I was merely indicating — in discussing Richard Dawkins’ attempt to show Hitler was Catholic — that being baptised does not necessarily mean one lives one’s life as a Catholic.

I do not regard my religious beliefs as right and those of everybody else wrong. If I choose one particular road, it is because I have been convinced there is a basis for my choice. I do not regard other roads as wrong, though some I have problems with. Even evolutionary theorists disagree about best interpretation of data.

Oliver Broderick

Ashe St

Youghal

Co Cork