Secular schism

David Robertson mischievously claimed that the state made a “legal promise to have a Christian education system” (Letter, 9 
November).

British law does not require local education authorities to offer a Christian education, albeit it does require that children are taught “religious instruction” (latterly known as “religious education”), and attend assemblies in the form of “religious observance”, from both of which children can be excluded if their parents wish.

Unfortunately, these anachronistic requirements are inappropriate in the modern secular world and should be removed.

Steuart Campbell

Treasurer

Edinburgh Secular Society

Dovecot Loan

Edinburgh

Stephen Moreton (Letters, 11 November) is correct to claim that “fundamentalist atheist” is an oxymoron, as long as he defines “fundamentalist” as something like a “person who takes their religious beliefs more seriously than average”.

But if a “fundamentalist” is someone who refuses to engage in reasoned discussion, regards their own beliefs as the only ones a rational person can hold, seeks to silence opposing voices and stifle debate, and demands their views be enforced as the one true belief system, throwing in lots of insult and abuse along the way, then there are plenty of atheist fundamentalists.

Should anyone doubt this, I recommend a glance at the Secular Scotland Facebook page.

Richard Lucas

Broomyknowe

Edinburgh