At this time of religious significance in the Christian calendar, perhaps your readers may wish to consider the following points: Firstly, when you consider the people of Faith ,

At this time of religious significance in the Christian calendar, perhaps your readers may wish to consider the following points:

Firstly, when you consider the people of "Faith", one has to realise that different people have various views as to the absolute truth of their beliefs.

One must accept that, if the Bible as one's central core is correct, then this automatically precluded other such "Holy Books", such as the Torah, the Koran, the Vedas etc, etc. Likewise, if any of these other "Holy Books" are validated, then the rest are, again, rendered fictional - so on and so forth.

To fight wars simply on this system of rigid fundamentalism based on one teaching, is to deny the existence of a constant - this is reflected from the past ages of the Christian Crusades to present day Al Qaeda. Religious feeling is only demeaned by historical events.

However, one might then think I am advocating atheism, as so viciously propounded by Dawkins. I certainly am not. As an example, may I refer to the most recent images from outer space, which have caused scientists to wonder at the supreme glory of the universe.

What did they expect to find? A solid wall, surrounding the limits of our known extremities of creation, which reads "this is the end. There is no God and no Heaven".

It is not that there is such wonderment at these revelations that is surprising, but that scientists are constantly in awe at the mystery of "infinity" - which, as any young child would tell you, is beyond the capacity of the human mind to comprehend. Can't bone-headed, so-called "realists" get this?

There is, of course, a middle way between the two sets of arguments (not, however, in the Buddhist sense). In this context, I refer to Agnosticism. Surely, to be true to ourselves, aren't we all agnostic?

To adhere to this fact, unpalatable as it may seem to some, is the only way that humankind can continue to progress.

Damn all dogmatic religious and atheistic institutions; for therein lies the path to Hell and, to pardon the metaphor, "Final Damnation".

David Woolger,

35 Burnside,

Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth.