Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, The cold case investigation team and forensic scientists who have belatedly allowed the Metropolitan Police to bring to justice two of the men involved in the 1993 racist murder of Stephen Lawrence are to be congratulated for the thoroughness with which they have conducted this high-profile and no-expense-spared investigation.
Perhaps it is now time for them to move on and investigate with similar enthusiasm the death of Blair Peach, the New Zealand-born anti-racism campaigner who was knocked unconscious during a demonstration against the National Front in Southall on April 23 1979 and died the next day?
The conviction of the member of the former Metropolitan Police Special Patrol Group responsible for striking Mr Peach would do much to show that the Met has indeed changed over the years. As would a successful prosecution of his silent and blind-eye-turning colleagues for conspiracy to pervert the course ofjustice.
John Hein.78 Montgomery Street,Edinburgh.
Christianity is still fair game
Sir, If your recent correspondents want us atheists to stop attacking Christianity then Christians should stop attacking secularism, relinquish all their unearned privileges, and stop foisting their ”morality” on others.
They should stop whining and portraying themselves as ”victims” because they are held to the same laws as everyone else.
They should stop trying to corrupt science education with creationism, stop demanding government-funded faith schools and end compulsory worship. In fact they should keep their religion out of the education system altogether.
They should disestablish the Church of England, remove their bishops from the House of Lords, and stop interfering in the private lives of gay people.
Their largest church should stop spreading lies about condoms and HIV, and start actively promoting family planning in the face of overpopulation.
When Christians have finally got their house in order, us atheists will have less reason to criticise. Until then, Christianity is fair game.
(Dr) Stephen Moreton.33 Marina Avenue,Great Sankey,Warrington,Cheshire.
Twisted to suit purpose
Sir, Jim Robertson (Letters, December 28), accuses myself and another contributor of missing the point in our defence of Christianity. He then goes on to list atrocities committed in the name of religion, such as human sacrifice, beheading, burning and the present-day attacks by Muslim suicide bombers.
I did not miss the point. I clearly stated in my letter of December 23 that evil men can take almost anything, or any cause, no matter how beneficial to mankind, and twist it to suit their purposes.
Opium, for instance, is a great boon to us in the form of pain-killing morphine, but is having a devastating effect on millions of young people who use it illegally as a recreational drug in the form of heroin.
Dynamite and other explosives have all kinds of peaceful uses, such as in the driving of tunnels, canals and railways through otherwise impassable terrain, but we all know the devastating effect they have in war.
In Northern Ireland, thousands of lives have been blighted in the name of religion, sometimes by men who have never seen the inside of a church.
The perversion of a religion by fanatics or cynics of any description does not make the belief itself wrong.
If anybody can demonstrate to me a higher set of principles for living than those set out in the teachings of Jesus Christ, then I should be interested to see them.
The trouble with the enemies of Christianity is that they cannot see the wood for the trees. Newcomers to its treasures should first be exposed to the great truths set out in the teachings of Jesus Christ before bothering their little heads with the endless complications of the remainder of the New and especially the Old Testaments.
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Not so easy to visit now
Sir, I would agree with Nick Jenkins that Copenhagen and Denmark are well worth a visit at any time of year (Wonderful Copenhagen, December 30), but easy to reach? From Harwich, maybe, but Harwich is a long drive from Tayside.
Not so long ago it was possible to sail with DFDS from Newcastle to Esbjerg in Denmark, to Kristiansand in Norway, or Gothenberg in Sweden, but now sadly all are gone, leaving Harwich to Esbjerg or the trip from Amsterdam through the Netherlands and Germany to reach Denmark as the only possibilities.
Surely it is not beyond DFDS or any ferry operator to divert an occasional sailing to call in at one of the Scandinavian ports?
John Crichton.6 Northampton Place, Forfar.
Why should we listen to them?
Sir, The recent storm force winds were not predicted by any significant time margin by the Met Office so why should we listen to their global warming (or is it climate change?) predictions for decades ahead?
G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
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.