Madam, - My former colleague, the estimable William Reville, makes another of his occasional trips from the laboratory to the pulpit (Science Today, November 25th).
In attacking Richard Dawkins's crusading atheism, Prof Reville claims that religion by and large, has been beneficial to humanity and enables people to live "decent and fulfilled lives". Interestingly, this essentially utilitarian point is made by Machiavelli, who advises his Prince to recognise that religion is food for the masses and helps to keep them in line.
But Prof Reville does not take on Dawkins's main argument that "the concept of God is man-made and that religion was invented as a comfort-blanket" - and it might be added, as a weapon of mass control.
Anyway, your admirable science columnist might be persuaded to tell us why he feels impelled every so often to make a (not very convincing) case for the faith of his fathers.
Perhaps it's a case of is "treise dúchas ná oiliúint". - Yours, etc.,
JOHN A. MURPHY, Rosebank, Douglas Road, Cork
Madam, - Thank God for Prof William Reville, who certainly speaks for me. While Richard Dawkins battles with the complexities of this life I am aware daily of the marvels of Creation and, as Patrick Kavanagh says, "Of the One and the Endless, the Mind that has baulked the profoundest of mortals". - Yours, etc.,
ANNE FLYNN, Rochestown Road, Cork
Madam, - Prof William Reville warns that secular humanists "would be well advised to stop trying to reduce [ Christianity] to a position of no significance. . [ as] a greatly weakened Christianity could be replaced by some other form of religion hostile to social progress".
Could this argument be summarised as: "Better the the devil you know. . ."? - Yours, etc.,
DONAL O'KEEFFE, Glanworth, Co Cork