AS I ACTUALLY use the Holy Bible as reference Tom McCarthy for my criticism of the mythical Jesus and Christianity, I hardly think I show any “bigotry” or “prejudice”. If the quotes from the Bible are “ostensible” then surely the word of God is untrue?

The basic tenet of Christ’s message was love me or burn in hell. The authority of Jesus was not to be questioned – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John (3:18) This is very explicit and not a “distortion” Tom McCarthy. We are also ordered to love Jesus more than our own parents and be willing to follow the Saviour unquestioningly. (Mathew 10:34-30) Any religion that uses such “disgusting” threats to recruit its flock is rather authoritarian to say the least. Jesus might be (like Mithra) a “good shepherd” but who wants to be a sheep?

Terry Banfield Cardigan Crescent Cwmbran