Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, David Cameron said this week that he wants to see Christian values restored to Britain, as the riots apparently indicated a collapse of moral values.
What about the collapse of moral values evident in the exposure of the MPs’ expenses fraud, with several Christian MPs and peers jailed for defrauding the tax-payer, and many other MPs eluding justice by paying back their ill-gotten gains?
Why do rioters guilty of stealing bottled water go to jail, while MPs can be pictured holding up cheques worth thousands payable to the Inland Revenue and thus escape any punishment?
What about the collapse in moral values displayed by Christian leaders in this country so far this century shielding child rapists, demanding the right to practise prejudice against women and gay people while simultaneously demanding no discrimination against themselves, and, in the case of Lord Carey, demanding that Christians in secular courts or tribunals are judged by Christian judges to ensure Christians always win, otherwise they are being ‘persecuted’?
What about the collapse in moral values in the City spivs, whom the Prime Minister has now sworn to protect from the sort of tough regulation proposed by Europe and which is so evidently necessary to prevent economic meltdown recurring?
If the Prime Minister wants rioters and problem families to have moral values, would he not be better to start by ensuring those in the corridors of power (religious leaders, MPs, peers, the media, the City) set an appropriate example?Alistair McBay. Lawmuirview, Methven.
Christmas not what it seems
Sir, Once again Christians are complaining about the so-called war on Christians by intolerant militant atheists. No such war exists except in the minds of deluded believers, but facts do not ever appear to come into their purview.
The whole story of the nativity is a fabrication from start to finish. The claim within the Old Testament is that the saviour has to be born of the house of David. In David’s home town which means that the saviour had to have been born in Bethlehem. It is known that Jesus (if born at all) was born in Nazareth.
In order to get him to Bethlehem a huge invention must be told. A census is called by Caesar Augustus. This never happened. The people of the Bronze Age Middle East did not have to go their home towns. Quirinius was not the Governor of Syria in that year as the Bible claims.
The Nativity is pure fiction and the Gospels all contradict each other on the story. No date is given for the birth of Jesus. The date chosen by the early church was the date of the birth of three pagan saviours the Roman Attis, the Greek Dionysus and the Egyptian Osiris.
The Bible itself proscribes the decoration of trees in Jeremiah 10:2-4 making clear that it was a heathen act forbidden by believers. Christmas is not as Christians claim a unique event marking the birth of their saviour it is a long-running pagan festival which predates Christianity by millennia.Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.
No-frills flights could be boost
Sir, Perhaps Malcolm Parkin of Kinnesswood (letters, December 16), should not let his own opinions cloud his judgement. In my letter of the 12th I was merely reflecting the latest opinion polls, not advocating an Independent Scotland. Also, the whole of Scotland and not just St Andrews is the home of golf! Ask Donald Trump.
Golf tourists are often richer and market research suggests they are the highest spending per capita tourists. That is why Ireland is targeting them.
The Scottish economy needs more visitors and not just golfers, it must therefore be sensible to make access easier for them.
The advent of no-frills flights to provincial airports across Europe has transformed their local economies and could do the same for the area serviced by a Leuchars Airport. As for cutting defence spending, that was one of the main aims of the recent controversial defence review.Joseph A. Peterson. 32 Kilrymont Road, St Andrews.
Don’t leave it to gimmickry
Sir, I hate pouring cold water on those plans to create 700 jobs in Dundee; but it seems reasonable to question the staggering amounts of taxpayers’ money involved in all these projects.
Surely most right-thinking people have now seen enough of this nonsense to see that it’s all built on foundations of sand. Not a single wind turbine would be built without public subsidy; and even when installed, the electricity is generated at more than twice the cost from a coal-fired station (which, of course, is independent of when, and how fast the wind blows).
In a nutshell, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that the energy policy from this awful nationalist government is the biggest con-trick since that Frenchman sold the Eiffel Tower to an American tourist, almost 100 years ago.
The question of our future electricity supplies is far too important to be left to gimmickry and profligacy with our money. This is a matter for grown-up people; and the big decision is still: do we build coal or nuclear power stations to meet our long-term base-load requirements?Jim Parker. (Scottish Mineworkers’ Consortium).Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.