Views on Christianity
Sir: Like your correspondent Omar Ali- Shah (Letters, 24 September), I share William Oddie's regrets that Christian churchmen are not trenchant enough in the defence of the founder of their faith. Against whom or what should this defence be made, however? The following passage is taken from a weekly commentary on the Koran, published in the 22 September issue of the Gulf Times, a local English- language newspaper:
As regards Christianity, it, with its meaning- less seven sacraments, its beliefs in original sin, the incarnation of a god — unknown to all previous religious and mythological litera- ture — and in a trinity of individual gods, and finally because it does not possess a single line 'in scripto' from its supposed founder, Jesus Christ, has done no good to mankind. On the contrary, it has caused divisions and sects, all imbued with bitter feelings of hatred and rancour against each other.
Some Christians may find these senti- ments at least as offensive as the latest ephemeral American film portrayal of Christ. At any rate, the genuineness of Mr Ali-Shah's protestation that Christ is accorded great respect and reverence in the Muslim religion would appear to be open to doubt.
Douglas Fraser
Doha, State of Qatar, Arabian Gulf
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