Letter: Universal gods

Universal gods

Sir: Canon Roger Clifton (letter, 26 June) asserts that an atheist cannot deny the possibility of a god. Indeed, no sensible atheist will reject the possibility that an intelligence directs the Universe.

Every religion, however, describes its god in detail and with every attribute it gives him (mostly "him"!) reduces the chance of its being right until it becomes vanishingly small.

Christians have an even more serious problem. It is now apparent that life must be manifest throughout the Universe. Does God's "only begotten son" have to go to every planet with life, "save" the inhabitants and get killed in whatever unpleasant manner there is in force at the time?

All religions are predicated on the assumption that we on earth matter especially. Before Copernicus, when scientists accepted a geocentric universe, that might have been tenable. The whole notion is now manifestly absurd. Take humans as they are, value them, and live on the principle that there is no supernatural force looking after us. Do not seek an emotional crutch.

Dr LAURIE BUXTON

Swaffham, Norfolk