29 OCTOBER 1977, Page 17

The meaning of love

Sir: Leo Abse (22 October) has misunderstood Christian teaching about love when he asserts that 'not all men are worthy of love, and it is an affectation to claim that they are'. Love is not, in the Christian sense, concerned with merit yet it is not indifferent to evil and imperfection. To love another as one loves oneself means in this context to will that person's good rather than to have nice feelings about him. To 'love' a bad man IS to desire his repentance, cure, and ultimate redemption rather than to tolerate his faults hypocritically. The greater our love for a person the less we can be impervious to his vices, since it is characteristic of love that it seeks its object's perfection ' and beautitude.

The Christian believes that just as God loves us despite our fallenness, because He made us and He is love, so we are called Upon to love our neighbour in the same way. Hate the sin but love the sinner as God hates our sin but loves us, that is the essence of Christian teaching.

Mr Abse would be well advised to read C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, In it he (and those who think like him) will find eloquent and effective answers to his misconceptions about the Christian faith, particularly as regards the subject of sex. Let me stress that I write as a former atheist who once shared very much the same views as those expressed in Mr A bses article.

Philip Vander Eist 13 Spenser Court, Parkleys, Ham, Surrey