Baffled by faith
From Mr Dennis Sewell
Sir: Matthew Parris proposes that a world without religion would be a more peaceful one (Another voice, 22 September). This is hard to square with the body count. More people were slaughtered in the name of atheistic creeds during the last century alone than in all the religious wars of historyput together by the likes of Stalin. Mao and Pol Pot. Hardly surprising. After all, those who believe that
human life represents nothing more than the biological consequences of a genetic accident are unlikely to set much store by it.
And yet Mr Parris clearly does. First, he posits a Godless universe that is at heart arbitrary and meaningless; then he goes on to ascribe value and significance to things within it.
But why? Why should he give two hoots? The answer appears to be some sort of 'faith' in the here and now that I find every bit as baffling as he finds my belief in miracles.
Dennis Sewell London SE 1
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