READER'S VIEW: Replace religion with love, kindness, honesty

AL BYRNAND (TMB 9/9) attacks TV personality Stephen Fry for being an atheist.

I am not a particular fan of Stephen Fry but I ask Al if he knows of any well-balanced, highly intelligent man or woman who is not an atheist.

In saying this, I do not include those devious people who carry on pretence, simply for financial or reasons of convenience.

Atheists are realists.

He or she behaves only in reality and knows that most of the horrors suffered by people down through the ages which are human caused, are the result of the mentality "my God is better than your God, so I will rob, torture, rape, murder you and burn your home down".

In these troubled times we constantly see babies, beautiful children, mums and dads, elderly citizens in vast numbers suffering enormously. Much of this is a direct result of religious fanaticism.

I have openly spoken and written in this column ever since maturity that we need to replace religion with care for others, love, kindness, honesty.

In saying all of the above, however, I do concede that there are, and always have been, loving, dedicated people and organisations from religious base who have given their all and still do.

T.W. Hinchliffe, Dululu