There’s no place in heaven for terrorists
SUICIDE bombings at rock concerts and other gatherings and in places of worship; innocent people deliberately mowed down by drivers or stabbed to death; isn’t it time that all the major religions made it clear that anyone perpetrating or condoning such evil is no longer eligible for ‘salvation’ or reward, whether here on earth or in a life beyond this one?
Regardless of one’s opinion of the various doctrines and belief systems that have evolved over the centuries, it is indisputable that millions of people worldwide subscribe to them. Therefore it is not merely desirable but literally a matter of life and death that any doubts or ambivalence on the ethical issue of killing and maiming innocent people be clarified.
Preachers and clerics of all shades must lay it on the line that if you act as those depraved killers did in London on Saturday night you are permanently ostracised and excluded from whatever religious belief system you belong to. No ifs or buts or obtuse theological qualifications.
What happened in London, Manchester, and in so many other locations targeted by murderers is as far removed from the concept of an all-knowing compassionate god as one can possibly get.
Surely all decent reasonable human beings can agree on that? JOHN FITZGERALD, Callan, Co. Kilkenny.
Who is Leo for?
SO through an unbiased, unprejudiced democratic process, Leo Varadkar was voted the new Fine Gael leader and almost certainly the new taoiseach.
What can we except from this energetic politician who doesn’t mince his words and likes determination?
If one has to go by certain remarks he has made during his leadership campaign and the measures he has imposed as current Minister for Social Protection, one would expect action with sweeping powers to achieve his goals as fast and efficiently as possible, whether or not this might leave a trail of casualties among the most vulnerable along the way.
His remark that he wants to lead a party for people ‘who get up early in the morning’, while denoting praise for hard-working gogetters, sounds slightly non-inclusive of all strands of society. Reading between his words, it seems as if other categories of people who do not get up early in the morning to go to work might be not be his priority after all.
If we have to judge from the ironfist measures introduced in the Department for Social Protection with the aim of combating everelusive frauds, he has already left a trail of victims, among selfemployed people who find themselves out of a job, have no means whatsoever and happen to cohabit with employed partners.
A spate of blitzes to the abodes of these subjects have been carried out by specially empowered inspectors whose main aim has been that of ascertaining the status of ‘couples’ in their co-habita- tions, disqualifying them from any entitlement whatsoever. Quite ludicrous!
Now if Mr Varadkar adopts a similar philosophy in other spheres of economic life, without consideration as to whom his measures, be they taxes, levies, regulations or similar, be impacting on, then he will be the leader of yet another government for which the little people will count very little indeed and even less than ever. CONCETTO LA MALFA,
Dublin 4. ...FINE Gael has been allowed to exercise its right to select its new leader. Are the people not going to be allowed to exercise their right to select the new taoiseach at a time that is likely to be the most critical in this Republic’s existence? PATRICK MURRAY, Dundrum, Co. Dublin.
Let them suffer too
ALL politicians from all political parties should be ordered to spend a week sleeping rough with the homeless – including the Housing Minister – before they open their mouths on the subject in the Dáil.
A true insight and perspective at ground level on this massive problem would truly send shockwaves through their psyche, and their eyes would be open to the truth. ANTHONY WOODS, Ennis, Co. Clare.
GAA sells out
THESE days many long-serving followers of Gaelic games must be finding it less difficult to be disillusioned with some of the decisions being made by the ‘top brass’ of the GAA. It does appear that money means more to the association than the loyal supporters.
Apart from the tampering of the football and hurling championships in order to provide more matches and extra revenue, arrangements for games last weekend deserve to be criticised. Two Leinster SFC games, Meath v Louth and Kildare v Laois, were played at different venues when it would have made more sense to stage the two ties as a double bill at the same stadium. The Munster SHC match between Clare and Limerick was sold to Sky thus denying many fans the opportunity to see the contest live on television. As well as selling its product to a foreign channel, it can also be said that the GAA is selling its soul.
LIAM WILSON, New Ross, Co. Wexford.