Madam, - In standing for God and St Patrick, Noel O'Shaughnessy (Letter, March 17th) does not do either of them a favour.
If God is the person whom I think Mr O'Shaughnessy believes him to be, he (or, for that matter, she) is not likely to be remotely concerned at being excluded from the constitutions of mere mortals. And, it seems to me, St Patrick would not take too kindly to being named in a slogan which sounds unhappily like "For God and Ulster".
The suggestion that the failure to mention God in the preamble to the European Constitution may herald a return to some form of neo-paganism is frankly childish and anti-historical. Free citizens of a free Europe will be better able to protect the right of those of their number who wish to believe in God if they secure the advances of the Enlightenment and stand on their own untethered feet.
Unless, of course, someone is going to propose that a reference to God is now inserted in the European Constitution to appease the religious fundamentalism of al-Qaeda and its supporters. - Yours, etc.,
DAVID COOK, Loughbrickland, Co Down.