Bad loser

Published on 28/08/2012 00:00

The letter read out at nearly every Catholic Church in Scotland on Sunday (your report, 27 August) was nothing less than an attempt to whip up hatred against gay people. I believe this was done for no other reason than because of who they are.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien is acting like a three-year-old child.

He has lost the argument over gay marriage and is engaged in hyperbole about opponents of gay marriage being sent to prison if they speak out.

There never has been a traditional definition of “marriage”.

Polygamy was originally seen as a “normal” definition of marriage, as was forcing couples to get married to forge alliances between aristocratic dynasties.

The other argument used by Christians is that the sole purpose of marriage is procreation. Would they then deny marriage to heterosexual couples who choose not to have children?

Keith O’Brien and other Christian opponents of gay marriage are opposed to it simply because of prejudice.

They know nothing about the lives of gay people but feel that it is their right to intervene 
because of scripture.

Alan Hinnrichs

Gillespie Terrace

Dundee

Cardinal O’Brien’s new strategy in his continued opposition to marriage equality has involved instructing his priest foot soldiers to read out a letter insisting that same-sex marriage would be “bad for society”. This is baffling.

The Scottish Government has already made clear that no 
individual religious official will be forced to carry out same-sex marriage ceremonies in what is an extremely gracious and generous concession unlikely to have been extended to the parish priests compelled to broadcast the cardinal’s letter.

As a citizen, I too have a vested interest in maintaining our shared morality so fail to understand the process by which any private marriage could be the author of this apocalyptic vision of social decay.

Neil Barber

Saughtonhall Drive

Edinburgh