Contempt for faith sits ill with Guardian readers

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/01/contempt-for-faith-sits-ill-with-guardian-readers

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Your many humanist correspondents (Letters, 31 May) are quite correct in asserting that religion is not necessary for a moral framework. The natural moral law is universal and concern for the common good is based on our common humanity. What Christian faith offers is not a set of arbitrary moral principles based entirely on religious authority – it offers a depth to our moral concern.

As a human being, I can be concerned for my neighbour because she or he is like me. As a Christian, however, I perceive my neighbour to be in the image of God, loved by God and someone for whom Christ died. This means that, though as a concerned human being I might give my coat, as a Christian I should be willing to give my cloak as well, to walk not just one mile but an extra one (Matthew 5:40-41), not to forgive just once but 70 times (Matthew 18:21).

The failure of Christians to live out this moral vision may be one reason for the – frequently ignorant – contempt in which our faith is held by some of the correspondents to your paper. Duncan MacphersonVisiting senior research fellow, Saint Mary’s University, Twickenham

• Your suggestion that Christianity might continue to be relevant (Editorial, 28 May) produced a predictable kneejerk reaction from your readers. Hester Brown “couldn’t believe” that the Guardian could take such a line. She evidently knows nothing about the paper’s history. Its founders and first editors were Unitarians, who took a firm stand against unthinking orthodoxy – which for them was creedal Christianity. Today it continues to take such a stand, but now the prevailing orthodoxy is hubristic humanism.Jeremy and Rosemary GoringCo-authors, The Unitarians (RMEP, 1984)

• If the Christian faith is no longer needed, how is it that most food banks are on church premises and run by Christian volunteers? The Salvation Army runs shelters for the homeless; many churches, including my own, run lunch clubs for older people. Many NGOs were started by Christians – Save the Children, Oxfam, Christian Aid – and much of their fundraising is done by church members. There are many more activities in which Christians are deeply involved.

I can manage without ritual, but I follow a man who said not only “love your neighbour as yourself” but also “love your enemies and do good to those who persecute you”. I also believe that there is forgiveness for me when I fail to live up to these commands. That’s not religion, it’s faith.Val SpougeBraintree, Essex

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