RELIGION UNDER ATTACK

This letter appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Religion under attack

Mr Allan Hayes (Mailbox, September 10), member of the Leicester Secular Society and the humanist movement, again tiresomely calls for religious influence to be abandoned.

Some of his views I can find favour with. The need to co-exist, the need for all of us to respect one another's views, the need for understanding.

There he should leave it, but, no, he insists on picking a fight with us of faith, all faiths.

He reminds me of the story of two tribes, the "Haves" and the "Have-nots" that lived on either side of the wide densely covered jungle valley. They each survived and lived in peace for many generations unaware of the other's presence.

One day, they discovered each other's existence, and although they lived only several miles apart, they had developed quite separately. The "Haves" had religion, the "Have Nots" had not.

Most of the tribe members were prepared to continue their way of life undisturbed and trade with the new tribe, except one person in the "Have Nots", who felt their way was the supreme way and continually harassed the other tribe to change their ways until the "Haves" patience was exhausted. Readers can finish the story themselves...

It was well over a year ago the Leicester Secular Society and the UK Humanist tribe set out to harass us religious people, even though we had co-existed for years. I cannot claim the Church has a clean record – recent reports would prove me to be deluded if I tried – but the actions of a few selfish, arrogant and perverted individuals in positions of trust should not condemn the millions who do charitable work day in, day out in centres, churches, streets and schools.

If a small minority's actions forecast the fate of millions, atheists would suffer, whatever My [sic] Hayes and his colleagues would claim against religion.

If atheism is so good, and for some it may be, why do committed atheists harass faith followers rather than centre on atheism's merits for recruitment?

Stephen A Warden, Wigston