BOTH the Greek and Hebrew Bible encourage us to question and use the reasoning parts of our brains (Letters, August 11).

I have read Richard Dawkins' most recent book, The God Delusion, and did not find it brilliantly argued' as the jacket blurb claimed.

He glosses over reasoned arguments from creationists, concentrating on the more extreme examples of fundamentalism, and totally ignores what is one of the most telling arguments against the theory of evolution.

For life to evolve from non-living chemicals requires at least two complex biochemical reactions (DNA synthesis and protein synthesis) to happen by chance at the same time. The thermodynamics of these reactions is such that the chemicals could sit on a shelf for billions and trillions of years and nothing would happen. Even the evolutionists' supposed thunderstorms would not bring forth life.

Richard Dawkins admits that his expertise is not chemistry and says on page 165, I watch from the sidelines.and shall not be surprised if, within the next few years, chemists report that they have successfully midwifed a new origin of life.

Having studied biochemistry, I reckon that he will have a very long wait.

I would like to see children encouraged to examine the evidence for and against the theory of evolution, and to know that there are serious scientists who believe in creation.

SANDRA DELEMARE, Dibden Purlieu.