Sir, – I write in response to your Editorial (“The war against faith”, February 18th), and I write as a Catholic. I have not seen much in your coverage of recent years that would upset non-Catholics, whether believers, agnostics or atheists, but I continue to have problems with your coverage of my church. It is almost sinister that you should write such a complacent, self-satisfied piece given your poor record in this area.
We have all had great fun with your recent 100 Excuses series. Less amusing, however, is the reflection that your Letters column, in the past five years alone, would provide more than enough material for another series, 100 Ways to Insult Catholics.
Some recent examples: Catholics prefer others to do their thinking for them, and Catholics do not take responsibility for their own lives. You talk of mutual respect in your Editorial, while simultaneously publishing this type of rubbish.
You refer to "shooting the messenger", implying that the media merely report what is going on in the church, and that to take issue with this reporting is a form of denial. However, I am struggling to recall even a single positive report about the church, or a single positive Editorial, in the past two decades of extensive Irish Timescoverage. What we have been getting from you is relentless negativity, not balanced reporting. – Yours, etc,