Freedom to read

In her letter The Da Vinci Code (January 6), Anita Kilbride-Jones deemed it fit to quote Fr Benedict Groeschel: "Those who read the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, or who pass it on to others, are committing a blasphemy against Christ".

I am trembling in my shoes. I have committed a monstrous sin! Doubtless, my father, who lent me the book in order to reflect on some of the inanities (which are nonsensical), is also guilty.

Words fail me when I come across such reactionary and outdated thinking. Has Ms Kilbride-Jones ever heard of freedom of speech, or freedom of conscience for that matter? Just for her information, in a civilised society we are free to read what we please and judge the content later. Fundamentalist thinking of this kind is completely out of order and reminiscent of the Inquisition, which used to collect and burn banned books.

With these unreasonable ideas being bandied around, I am not at all surprised that there is so much intolerance in the world today.