25 SEPTEMBER 2004, Page 34

From Chris Scanlan

Sir: According to Alister McGrath and Stephen Jay Gould, 'the natural sciences simply cannot adjudicate on the God question'. Perhaps, but philosophers certainly cannot. Indeed, not a single word of any demonstrable accuracy has ever been written about the nature of God. Thus, while poor Professor Dawkins may never get to prove that his rejection of theism is justified, he shall at least leave a legacy of a profoundly enhanced understanding of the human nature that so dearly wishes to believe in God. One imagines that Professor McGrath's theological speculations will not have a correspondingly enduring impact on evolutionary biology.

Chris Scanlan

The Queen's College, Oxford