IN REPLY to Allan Horsfall's letter (November 2). He asks for help from other readers of the BEN on how to cope with 'commands'. May I be of assistance. What I say from hereon is my opinion. Some people may or may not agree. If they don't, I am sure they will let me know.

To begin with -- there are those who do not believe in the existence of God. If they are right, then, when I die, I will have nothing to worry about; it will all be over. But, if God does exist (which I believe), when THEY die, they will have a lot of explaining to do, won't they? It is all to do with 'faith'. Some people quote from the Bible to back up their views, without a cross reference.

Let me explain. The Bible is in two parts -- the 'Old' and the 'New' Testaments (scriptures). The Old Testament is of the Hebrew Aramaic scriptures; the New Testament is of the Christian Greek scriptures. You may ask -- what is the difference? The difference is -- the birth of Jesus Christ and His ministry. This is where the New Testament and Christianity start and the Old Testament was left to the Hebrew faith. Christians mainly follow the New Testament and use the 'Old' as a cross reference.

Jesus read the Old Testament to check the references to the Messiah and to see if it's related to the life he was leading. He also found it disapproved of the same things He disapproved of, but he was sent as God's representative to make changes. Although there are punishments written in the New Testament aimed at those who will not change their way of life to God's way of thinking, they may not seem as brutal as the Old Testament, but they are still punishments.

Jesus Christ preached 'forgiveness' and 'reconciliation', but only if people changed their way of life. If not, God will abandon them and leave them to their own devices. Read ref -- Rom 1: 24-28, Tim 1: 9-11, Jud 7: Cor 6: 9-11, Ephesians 4: 17-24, Thess 4: 3-8, Col 3: 9-10 -- books of the New Testament.

I hope this letter helps Mr Horsfall and isn't as cynical and sarcastic as his. If so, then my God compels me to apologise. Keep the faith.

Grenville Moore

Iris Avenue,

Harper Green,

Farnworth, Bolton.