Not a dead letter

From the letters to the editor of The Times:

Sir, Matthew Parris’s article “Shout your doubt out loud” (April 21 ) was really rather odd.

Whenever Christians embrace a cause dear to his heart, such as gay rights, he seems to dismiss it as a panic measure in the face of declining influence. He should be pleased that his views are gaining support.

Could it be that his rejection of religious belief relies upon religion remaining exactly as it was when he first rejected it? If it changes, particularly in ways that he should welcome, it ceases to be such an easy target.

Requiring religious belief to remain unchanged and unchanging through changing times is at least part of what we mean by the word “fundamentalism”. It is a dangerous and discredited tendency to which atheists are clearly not immune.

THE RT REV DR JOHN SAXBEE Bishop of Lincoln

The evangelical wing of The Episcopal Church may be sharpening their knives over this.

For the link my thanks go out to one of my favorite human browsers, Kendall Harmon of titusonenine. Here's a link to the comments over at titusonenine.