SIR,—May I enter a mild protest against your leader- writer's
description of those who 'lead good lives, bring up their children, help their neighbours, sup- port good causes . . .' etc. as examples of 'residual Christian living'?
Some of the greatest periods of human history occurred before the conversion of Europe. Today, only one-third of the world's population is, even nominally, Christian. So it is surely the height of provinciality to equate socialised behaviour with Christian behaviour. If I described the people to whom the writer refers as examples of 'successful Humanist living,' and classed as 'residual Christians' those who are indifferent to family obligations, intolerant, improvident and sexually repressed, he would no doubt think it grossly one-sided. But it would be no more so than his own statement.
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