Today’s letters discuss the Bible and morality, John J. Marshall’s comments about Gordon Brown, the coalition deal struck by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and alternative energy options.
Bible does not have moral monopoly
Sir,-Norman Allan (May 13) insults our intelligence by implying that those with no interest in the Bible have no morality.
Does Mr Allan really think the Jews wandering around the desert thought that thieving, perjuring and murdering were acceptable until Moses allegedly came down from Sinai with the Ten Commandments?
This is preposterous.
Altruism is an innate evolutionary trait within us as a species.
We would not have made it as far as Mount Sinai had it not been so.
Many lives have been ruined by guilt complexes about sex thanks to religious dogma.
Mr Allan also states there is a high instance of teenage pregnancies. This can be directly linked to the lack of sex education particularly in Catholic schools.
Mr Allan complains about the high rate of abortion.
I would suggest Mr Allan goes back and reads his Bible to see the punishment brought down on King David for having his General Uriah killed so he could marry his wife.
God does not choose to kill David or Beersheba but the child they conceive. This hardly fits with a God who is against abortion.
Mr Allan complains that sex crimes are on the increase. Again, if Mr Allan looks at his Bible Numbers chapter 31, verses 17 and 18, he will see that God, after ordering Moses to kill all the Midians, instructs him to keep alive all the virgin women. I wonder what he had in mind for them?
Alan Hinnrichs.2 Gillespie Terrace,Dundee.
Unfair attack on Gordon Brown
Sir,-John J. Marshall’s latest salvo at the departing Prime Minister (May 12) has finally managed to scrape the bottom of the barrel, a feat he has come close to achieving on a number of occasions.
At a time when most observers are prepared to give credit to Gordon Brown for his achievements, particularly his influential role during the international banking crisis, Mr Marshall continues on his wearisome theme of denigrating everything Mr Brown has done in an attempt, I presume, at his idea of humour.
At least in his resignation speech Mr Brown showed grace, humility and a deep-rooted genuine concern for his fellow human beings qualities sadly missing in Mr Marshall’s comments.Roy Matthews.26 Affleck Gardens,Monikie.
Sarcasm unwarranted
Sir,-The comments by your columnist John J. Marshall (May 12) were sarcastic and insulting towards Mr Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah.
In my opinion, they were totally unnecessary and in very bad taste. Mr Brown had his faults but certainly does not deserve this type of vitriolic press comment.
Bill Crowe.Rosedale,Rossie Braes,Montrose.
An upper-class coup
Sir,-Having, in the past, been a political activist in a Liberal stronghold, it was always difficult to counteract tactical voting and I am sure both Labour and SNP activists will confirm that many of their supporters put their crosses next to the Liberal Democrat candidate so as to stop the Tories.
How can the Scottish Liberal Democrats sell out so cheaply? What was on the table was a referendum on AV, the worst system of PR out.
How do those who voted Liberal Democrat in a tactical manner feel today? Gutted and betrayed by a group of former public schoolboys who have grabbed hold of power in this country and all the money that goes with the jobs? There is no sign of new politics. This is an upper-class coup.
Jim McLean.18 Wemysshaven Gardens,East Wemyss.
Hopes for electrodialysis
Sir,-Reading about the debate on Forth Ports’ intention to build a biomass plant and two windmills in Dundee made me do a bit of research into green energy. I have come to the conclusion that windmills are a waste of taxpayers’ money and the building of such expensive and inefficient machines should cease at once.
The outrageous subsidies given to the landowners and the builders of turbines should be invested into tidal energy and blue energy (reverse electrodialysis), a system that uses salt and fresh water mixed. The Dutch and Norwegians are well into this technology already.
Although I am not an engineer or scientist, I do pay my taxes and have no wish to see them scattered to the ends of the earth by politicians muttering about Scotland being the wind capital of Europe while pouring millions into an inefficient system.
Let us have a real debate about which method suits Scotland, something that is sustainable, and let us stop this green greed for profit for the few.
John Nicoll.The Saucher,Kinrossie,By Perth.