Sir, May I commend you for your editorial “O come, all ye faithful” (Dec 24).

In my work as a police chaplain, I have a responsibility to make contact with all the faith leaders in the area, and I can confirm that they have no problem with Christian festivals. I’m embarrassed to say that they know more about Christian holy days than I know about theirs. I share an office with two community and race relations officers, both of whom are Sikhs. Nonetheless, they both enjoy Christmas; they send cards and have attended the local carol service.

It was members of multi-faith communities in Leicester who asked the hospital authorities to return the Gideon Bibles to the wards. I believe that these faith communities are offended that their religion is being used to oppose Christian festivals and culture.

Secularists are using Muslims, Hindus, Jews, etc, as a stick to beat the Christians. We have an obligation to confront the motives of the local councils that ban Christmas trees, the schools that don’t perform the Nativity.

While only 10 per cent attend church in the UK, 70 per cent consider themselves Christians, according to the 2001 census. It could be said that the former are spiritual Christians and the latter cultural Christians, but both categories, I hope, would want to confront the secularists’ agenda of dumbing down faith in whatever shape or form it manifests itself.

THE REV BOB GREEN
Milton Keynes

Sir, As a non-Christian it is not “faithlessness” that leaves me offended as your editorial suggests, but the sort of “public and unembarrassed” proclamations of faith that you recommend should increase.

The majority of us today live our daily lives without reference to religion or faith, following a personal morality that is about doing good for others, and finding enjoyment in this life for ourselves. This quotidian ethics based on our common humanity is a unifying national characteristic far more than any resurgence of divisive religiosity would be, and I sincerely hope that your call for such a resurgence goes unheeded.

JULIA COPSON
Nuneaton, Warwicks

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