Sir, - Patricia Casey (Opinion, February 8th) claims that religious belief and practice are linked to lower levels of depression and suicide. Similarly, Machiavelli advised the prince to encourage a religious environment as a stabilising influence on the masses.
Is there not something deeply cynical about advocating the therapeutic benefits of religion irrespective of the implausibility of the religious beliefs themselves? - Yours, etc.,
John A. Murphy, Rosebank, Douglas Road, Cork.