‘Privatising’ religion is a step to totalitarianism

SEAN O’BRIEN mistakenly asserts “[religion] is a private thing” (‘Spirituality is something to be shared for all mankind’, Letters, February 14).

Religion is personal, not private. All religions – and also the non-religions of atheism, agnosticism and secularism – have an effect on public life and society as a whole. Any attempt to ‘privatise’ religion is a step on the road to totalitarianism. Fr Oliver Skelly

Coole, Co Westmeath