Divisive issue

Cardinal Keith O’Brien is at it again with his intolerant and unsympathetic attitude to our fellow human beings who have a different sexual orientation, which are probably genetic in origin (your report, 5 March).

The Catholic Church has an appalling record of concealing sexual abuse of children, which was rife in its establishments, and is in no position to pontificate on sexual matters. If Christianity is about anything, it is about compassion and understanding, and this should be extended to same-sex couples who wish to celebrate their love of each other with a simple marriage ceremony in the way that different-sex couples do.

I much prefer the understanding and sympathetic attitude of Richard Holloway, who quietly performed simple marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples when they were unable to have the ceremony elsewhere.

I hope our government will not flinch in showing tolerance and fairness and make civil marriage ceremonies available to same-sex couples. No one is intending to compel the churches to carry out same-sex marriages if they do not wish to do it.

Hugh M Mackenzie

Bonnethill Road

Pitlochry

Cardinal O’Brien is acting like King Canute in resisting the tide of gay marriage as I fear that the political classes in the UK have swallowed the homosexual agenda, and it will be permitted whatever the public has to say.

Perhaps he would have more success in persuading the government to allow the use of police and courts to enforce Canon Law on members of his church, thus discouraging them from such abominable sexual practices, let alone their public proclamation in a civilly sanctioned ceremony. While not protecting the morals of those who are not Catholics, it would do much to elevate the status of his members amongst other morally focussed groups who do not share their religious dogma.

And our devout Muslim citizens would surely encourage the similar enforcement of Sharia Law, although I would hope that no UK court would ever go so far as to enforce a capital penalty.

John Eoin Douglas

Spey Terrace

Edinburgh