WITH great respect for the views of Steve Nibbs, he asks: “How can you reach a conclusion about scriptures without ever having read them”?

That is easy Steve.

When I was at school we had lessons on the subject from a vicar who preached one thing and did another, so I was not interested and often read a comic during the lesson.

He used to talk about the virgin birth and unfortunately I wasn’t very clever, but I thought about it.

My conclusion: we all know how babies are made and my guess is the virgin birth was a con to cover up a lady’s infidelity and to make the story believable people made it seem as though someone important would be born, die and rise again, when we all know that it is not scientifically possible.

I agree strange things happen in life which are seemingly unexplainable. My wife and I went to a band concert while on holiday in Bermuda and the man playing the triangle disappeared!

About the Christian ethos, have a look in the dictionary, Steve, and analyse the text under “informal”.

More than enough wars have been fought under the guise of religion.

I am not going into war with fellow contributors but I did say in a previous letter “Steve and others, you have your views (and I respect those views), I have mine so let’s leave it at that”.

I can’t remember writing in and condemning a person’s views.

I write in to give my views, which will vary in respect of others.

I may be obnoxious, narrow minded, disagreeable, offensive and inconsiderate but if outnumbered one million to one for my own views, I still stand by my principles.

On Christianity and following the Christian ethos, how many vicars and priests have had their background discovered and in so doing made the following of the Christian ethos disgusting and pathetic on their part?

When you see the vicar’s bill for conducting a funeral, you see how much the Christian ethos costs!

I would add that as a wedding and portrait photographer many years ago, I attended many churches where I met many ministers who I admired and thankfully still do.

CHRIS GLEED Proud Close Purton