Letter: Church strength

However, the number of Christians in China has grown from a few hundred thousand in 1910 to over 100 million today. In Africa the number has grown from nine million in 1900 to over 300 million today, the church in South America, Asia and everywhere except in western Europe is growing exponentially.

I accept that this was an "opinion" piece, but it should be based upon fact, not upon what he as an atheist wishes were true. The most astonishing statement however was that "Africa may be largely Christian, but remains backward, even barbarous". At best this is patronising western arrogance, at worst explicit racism. Can you imagine what would happen to any politician who uttered such prejudiced remarks?

Can I suggest that those who live in a society based on debt, greed, exploitation of the poor, a functional illiteracy rate of 20 per cent and a dumbed-down TV culture have no right to be calling other nations "backward and barbarous"?

DAVID A ROBERTSON

St Peter's Free Church

St Peter Street, Dundee

After underplaying the widespread practical benefits of the global Christian missionary effort in terms of healthcare, education etc, and underestimating the success of Christian missionaries in winning converts worldwide, Michael Fry concluded with a passage utterly devoid of logic.

He claimed that the fact that India and China, minority Christian countries, are not threatening to drop bombs on us is a reason to embrace paganism. First, India is not a good example of a "pagan" country as it is particularly religious, and Hinduism is not an attractive alternative to Christianity, even if one overlooks the appalling caste system that Mr Fry himself refers to.

China is a better example of an atheist state, but "staying pagan" for "the peace of the world" does not seem wholly reliable, considering the estimated 100 million death toll of 20th century atheistic communism.

RICHARD LUCAS

Cowan Road

Shandon, Edinburgh