Divorce, a separate issue

It was amazing to see Francis Saliba and Evarist Saliba argue that divorce, abortion and euthanasia are essentially in the same 'immoral' basket (The Sunday Times, November 23). Their rationale is the same recycled spin that whoever is in favour of divorce is in favour of abortion and euthanasia. The truth is blatantly different.

Being in favour of divorce does not necessarily translate into being in favour of abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, gay rights or whatever else falls under their Catholic definition of immorality.

What does the legal right to remarry have to do with terminating a pregnancy or killing someone who is terminally ill? In truth nothing except a Catholic view of morality that fundamentalists seek to impose on everyone, Catholic or not.

These letters evidence the fact that that some fundamentalists are basking in the obsession that Malta is currently in a sort of civil war between secularism and Catholicism.

It is not - all that is being asked is for the government to acknowledge the societal changes around us and the need to introduce a responsible form of divorce legislation.

There is an urgent need to recognise that the myopic attitude towards marriage breakdowns, separations and cohabitation is unsustainable. It is a fact that the prohibition of divorce has not prevented marriage breakdowns and all those who want to consider marriage a rabta ċoff do so whether we have divorce legislation or not. Divorce legislation will be an option one may or may not decide to resort to. If divorce is against one's personal beliefs the person has the right not to divorce, period.

The writing has been on the wall for quite a while now and there is ever-growing support for divorce legislation. This is creating panic within the diminishing fundamentalist ranks who are desperately trying to confuse issues with an age-old rhetoric that has lost its effectiveness.