Cate Devine's article on Peter Kearney was precise and a joy to read ("'Scotland remains a hostile place for Catholics to live in', The Herald, May 27).

I supported Mr Kearney's bid for the deputy leadership of the SNP in 2000 and regret to this day that he did not succeed. If he had he would almost certainly have gone on to capture the leadership at a time when Alex Salmond was having serious second and third thoughts about the position.

There is no doubt in my mind that if Peter Kearney had been National Convener today the Yes vote would have been in a much securer position than it currently is and the SNP would not be mired in what Mr Kearney in the article describes as "low-level social issues".

Whether these issues are low level or not, they have the germ of some very real potential threats to such as Catholic schools and the whole Christian future.

The SNP under the current leadership has dug itself into a hole on these matters and is ignoring the old adage about stopping digging.

There are times when I seriously ask myself, particularly after reading Cate Devine's article, whether in terms of challenges for the SNP leadership, history is capable of repeating itself.

Alan Clayton,

Westfield,

Letters Way, Strachur, Argyll.

I note with some interest that, according to Peter Kearney, identified as a senior figure in the Catholic Church, Scotland is a hostile place for Catholics to live in.

While I would dispute such an inflammatory remark, the remedy lies with the Catholic Church. It knows the remedy and has ignored such advice for many years preferring to blame others for the supposed state of affairs.

The remedy is removal of the apartheid educational system which exists in this country. Racial apartheid did not work so well in South Africa; religious apartheid does not appear to be working here either.

Faith schools by their very nature are socially divisive and have no place in a modern society which seeks to encourage equality. To state otherwise is to turn a blind eye to reality. Religion is, if I may paraphrase Bertrand Russell, irrational and sometimes dangerous.

If people wish to bring up their children in a particular belief system then that is a matter for them. The state should not be coerced into providing separate schools to pander to any such beliefs. Do they also want separate universities?

It is time all belief systems remain with the parties who follow such beliefs, not the rest of the country who do not.

Kenneth Stanton,

Mayfield,

North Road, Dunbar.

Stonewall publishes many high-quality reports but none have ever stated a gay "lifestyle" is harmful to gay people's health, as asserted by Peter Kearney.

We have published research that looks at gay and lesbian health and these reports highlight that the daily prejudice and discrimination that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face is harmful to their health, in particular their mental health.

Peter Kearney may wish to read these reports and then reflect on the very real harm the language recently used by Cardinal Keith O'Brien will have caused many gay people, in particular young gay people, in Scotland.

Given recent events, many will question how wise it is for Mr Kearney and the Catholic hierarchy to be peddling more untruths about gay people.

Colin Macfarlane,

Director,

Stonewall Scotland,

15 Mansfield Place,

Edinburgh.

The question that is posed by the interview with Peter Kearney is why he is so regularly given a platform to complain about discrimination and intolerance while his organisation simultaneously demands the right to be intolerant and discriminatory in its own way.

Mr Kearney might like to know that in the course of my advocating a religiously neutral secularism, I receive countless abusive emails and letters from Catholics, Protestants and Muslims (but never from Jews) which have on occasion resulted in me contacting the police.

Unlike him, I am not afforded the luxury of regular column inches in newspapers.

Given that Mr Kearney has previously complained about football fans singing the hokey cokey because it was supposedly a sectarian song, and given the recent furore around Cardinal Keith O'Brien, I would think a more sensible approach for the Catholic Church PR machine for a while would be a considered and discreet low profile.

Alistair McBay,

National Secular Society,

5 Atholl Crescent,

Edinburgh.

WhilE I think it is verging on being irresponsible journalism to report the views of such an extreme individual as Peter Kearney, it does expose his beliefs to a larger audience, thereby doing religion in general a lot of harm.

Every time I read these opinions I go through a list of emotions, starting with rage but inevitably ending with laughter and disbelief. How appropriate.

James Young,

90 Mitchell Street,

Glasgow.