WITH refererence to Brian Derbyshire's letter.

Brian, it is not a matter of which scriptures one should accept or ignore. All scriptures are given for our edification and knowledge.

Also, I never quoted scriptures in my reply to your promotion of multi-faith. Unfortunately, only half of my reply to you was published, the second part qualifying what I said in the first. A reading of the whole would have brought about a better understanding of my position as concerns God and his promises and conditions. However, the Bolton Evening News chose not to use the whole of the reply. As regards the mother and daughters of Christendom, the Lord says -- "if they speak not according to the Word then there is no Light in them". Comparison of doctrine and scripture will prove the truth of that statement.

The scriptures themselves tell us who are God's children and who will not be accepted. From Genesis to Revelations the promises and conditions are laid out time and time again. The only way to worship God is to do those things and believe on those things concerning the name of Jesus Christ, and, having come to a knowledge of those things, to be Baptised.

The whole of the New Testament states this constantly, if you believe in one God, then this should be the only basis for your faith otherwise you must stand outside the given remit and worship a God of your own making. I am not a member of any church nor sect or creed, I believe in one faith, one hope, one promise, one God, and the things concerning the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To gain knowledge I read scriptures every day and pray for enlightenment. Those things I read show that Christendom is astray from the Bible. Brian, if what you say is true then the scriptures have no authority and are of no value to anyone. We may as well all "eat drink and be merry", for what does it matter if tomorrow we die? Paul said that this was not the message of the scriptures, that it was another Christ, another gospel. There is a wide gate and a narrow. We should strive to enter through the narrow, we have the Lord's authority that this is the only way. In quoting Montaigne and Hocking, remember -- "The Wisdom of the World is Foolishness with God."

It is our duty to search out truth and to come out from among those who stray. If you do not read scriptures and know what they say, how can you have an opinion on what is truth and what is a lie?

Dave Latham

Albion Street

Westhoughton, Bolton