Letter of the week
I'm not sure that Julian Baggini is being consistent by denying people of faith the right to quote biblical texts in support of their arguments in the public square ("Now let the real battle begin", 26 May). I suspect, for instance, that he would have no problem with people invoking Epicurus, Jeremy Bentham or John Stuart Mill, yet he would seem to deny others the right to quote Jesus Christ.
It may be that he simply means that the words of Jesus Christ should not be considered a "conversation stopper" - that is to say, unchallengeable. If that is the case, however, then the same should be true of the utilitarianism that dominates secular public discourse and, in particular, the arguments over embryo research.
Hence, Lisa Jardine, interviewed by Sholto Byrnes in the same issue, is wrong to suggest that the Christian Church claims a monopoly on morality. I know of no church that has actually done that. Rather, the Church merely seeks to be able to articulate publicly its convictions and, in the process, to challenge the secular monopoly on morality that in reality brooks no discussion - namely, the theories of Epicurus, Bentham and Mill.
Dr Justine Thacker
Head of theology, Evangelical Alliance
London SE11
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