Attacks on anyone’s property are cruel, wrong and never justified, but there is something utterly contemptible about attacks on places of worship. We have experienced this all too often here in Northern Ireland over the years when it has been motivated by sectarianism or, more recently, a mixture of sectarianism and racism.
The latest appalling attack, on the church in Greenisland, appears to have been pure (if that’s the right word) vandalism. Society is becoming increasingly secular and religion dismissed as a relic of the past, but we have a rich spiritual heritage and it is vital that it is valued, protected and defended at all costs.
Civil and religious liberty is the bedrock of any civilised society. Those who attack places of worship, on whatever basis, must be swiftly apprehended and face the full rigours of the law.
