IF the Rev Kevin Logan (Letters, March 31) is right about anti-social behaviour being caused by teaching evolution without religion, we might expect this to show itself in the composition of the prison population.

It turns out that 32 per cent of prison inmates are without religion, Anglicans comprise 36 per cent, Catholics 17 per cent, Muslims eight per cent and the rest, including the free churches, seven per cent (Guardian, February 27).

Mr Logan referred to our supposed selfish genes, a term he took from evolutionary biologist, Steven Dawkins. It was unfortunate that Dawkins chose the title "The Selfish Gene" for his book, as this can give the impression that there's a human gene for selfishness, which Dawkins knows is nonsense, but he stayed with the title.

Unfortunately, it gives creationist vicars the opportunity to preach the traditional, unhealthy, Christian view that human beings are fundamentally flawed, with the supposed authority of modern genetics.

Far from being a genetically-flawed pre-programmed automaton, the human animal has evolved to become the most flexible organisation on earth. Our genes only intervene in our behaviour in an indirect way by programming the development of the brain -- practically everything we do is learned and socially-conditioned.

To understand how we behave, we have to look to our brains and their interaction with the environment, which is mostly social, not to our genes.

In going on about his "loving God," the vicar conveniently ignored the problem of universal suffering. Anybody wanting to make a contribution to the vicar's retirement fund, should buy a copy of his latest attempt to gain recognition as a serious writer, but they mustn't expect to learn about evolution, nor for that matter morality.

BRIAN LIVESEY, Belfield Road, Accrington.