THE comments in response to Mr L Lawe's remarks on religion (Letters, January 4), surely only vindicate his view. Many writers blamed other religions for the ills of the world - except their own.

As for Mr K Mills' comments (Letters, January 20), about man being around for 6,000 years, I am sure that native Australians (aboriginals) will be very interested in this, as they have lived in Australia for at least 30,000 years.

Readers may also be interested to know that the great 16th-17th century Italian astronomer Galileo, was only recently posthumously pardoned by the Pope and the Catholic Church, for being put under house arrest and threatened with torture during his lifetime, for daring to suggest that the Earth went around the sun and not vice versa - which is all a bit perplexing when you consider that every Pope since the beginning has claimed to be in daily contact with God.

One can only conclude that God had told the then Pope that the sun - indeed all the universe - went around the Earth - which is all a bit odd, as God is credited with having created it all in the first place.

A CULVERHOUSE, Cavendish Street, Darwen.

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