Madam, - I am saddened by some of the vitriol that has been published about the row concerning the Veritas advert.
There seems little Christmas spirit in the discussion. It seems that the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland has to enforce legislation that requires advertising not to promote one religion over another. Rather than ban the Veritas advert, they asked for a meeting to discuss alternative scripts, a meeting which was not taken up.
Having read the script of the advert, it seems very innocuous though I dare say that if another organisation tried to run an advert that attempted to say that the true meaning of anything was not Christian, then the vitriol would be even louder.
Although by not turning up to discuss alternative scripts Veritas seems to have taken a page from the Michael O'Leary book of publicity and as a result got coverage far wider than any advert could, so who is the real winner?
Out of interest I Googled the controversial words from the advert "The true meaning of Christmas" and it appears that there are between 396,000 and 922,000 of them, depending on how you search.
Although they are dominated by very Christian messages, there are many non-Christian meanings, nothing to do with promoting atheism or materialism or any of the other negative words that been thrown around in the last few days, but recounting messages of family celebrations, joy and happiness to all regards of belief. I find that reassuring even if I can't advertise the fact. - Mise le meas,
ANDREW DOYLE,
Bandon,
Co Cork.
Madam, - The leadership given by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland in protecting us from narrow religious references at Christmas should now be followed by other State agencies.
The medieval collection of the National Gallery, with its overwhelming focus on Christian themes, is inappropriate to post-modern Ireland and should be replaced by an abstract collection designed not to give offence to anybody.
The National Museum also needs to shed its out-of-date obsession with high cross replicas, old croziers, chalices and bells, all too narrowly sectarian for the sophisticated new Ireland..
The countryside is littered with old religious and monastic sites, disgracefully declared to be heritage sites, whose heritage and legacy must surely be offensive to some. These should be bulldozed so that our landscape will present a more progressive, forward-looking neutral image.
Trinity College should give urgent consideration to its insensitive display through the Book of Kells of material which might give offence to somebody somewhere.
Onward, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland! - Yours, etc,
SEÁN McDONAGH,
Bettyglen,
Dublin 5.