IN reply to Mrs S Clayton’s (Letters, November 28) assumption that my exegesis of all religion is due to lack of knowledge, I would point out the following: Between the ages of five to 12 I attended church or chapel every Sunday alternating, weekly, Sunday School every week, Bible Class every Thursday. I was never able to convince myself of its veracity, and subsequently studied several other religions, with the same result.

I finally found the peace of mind she mentions, when I realised all religions are man made, no substance in any of them, and decided to live life for myself, and not worry about mystical deities or eternal life. Take away the awesome flowery rhetoric from the various religious books and you are just left with a basic code of morals that most people conform to whether religious or not.

Probably, as she says, some scientists do believe. My experience in some I’ve met, suggests not many. Judging from the abuses within the various faiths: child abuse, adultery, embezzlement etc., not many of those holding offices, believe either. If they did such behaviour would not happen. The only thing positive to say of the offices they hold is that at least it’s a job, which helps to shorten the dole queues.

I do not claim, as she suggests, any authority to deny the existence of God, certainly not as much as the evangelists, who perpetually knock on our doors claim to have in expounding his existence.

There is no such person as an evangelical atheist.

D SMITH, Bitterne, Southampton.