24 NOVEMBER 1984, Page 23

Very young fogey

Sir: It has taken me 11 years to arrive at a private position of faith and some certainty about religion in general and Christianity in particular. It is therefore disconcerting, to say the least, to find Bishop Jenkins raising doubts. Surely bishops should assist their flocks by confirming traditional Christian beliefs rather than adding confu- sion. In my young days we had the old service, King James the Sixth's English and no nonsense! If a bishop is an unbeliever, would it not be best for him to hand over his crook to another shepherd who would help rather than hinder his flock?

Rory Stewart

(nearly 12) The Dragon School, Oxford