06/01/05

A point that could be added to the discussion is that Jesus came to reveal knowledge of God the Father, his plan of salvation for all people and his coming kingdom. He did not intend this knowledge to be concealed.

Christians have always centred their lives around revealing and passing on what Jesus taught to others. Christianity has never been a matter of secret knowledge to be hidden away, known only to a special few who could therefore exercise power over those not in the know. On the contrary, Jesus Christ and all he can teach is freely available to everyone and has been for 2,000 years.

The very fact that these so-called 'codes' and 'secrets' can only be solved by the few who can fathom out their riddle confirms that they are fake. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

EUROPE

FLOWERY rhetoric and meaningless platitudes as offered by Pete Winstanley (HAS, Jan 3) and others are consistently, but sadly, what we have come to accept as debate from EU defenders and apologists. When legitimate concerns are dismissed by reciting the standard Europhile mantra: shared values, promotion of democracy etc, it enhances, rather than weakens the anti-EU case.

Mr Winstanley disputes my claim that allowing an Islamic country (Turkey) to join the EU would increase the propensity for terrorism in EU member states.

Does not EU membership allow free movement of citizens between one state and another? Given this fact, what is to prevent members of fundamentalist Islamic groups in Turkey moving into other EU states without let or hindrance?

With the UK's abysmal, indeed frightening, record on immigration control, would we not be more vulnerable to terrorism than countries not so tolerant and liberal?

To invite an additional risk into an already dangerous situation is not the act of a sane government.

The sooner we are ex-members of the EU, the better. - Dave Pascoe, Press Secretary, Hartlepool branch, UK Independence Party.

SIR Winston Churchill, the founder of the European Movement in 1948, would have been angry and distressed reading the constantly hostile words of the UKIP press secretary in Hartlepool about the present European Union.

Sir Winston understood the necessity to find a way of collaboration between the European nation states, not warfare. He would have welcomed the creation of a United States of Europe, but this was not possible.

The UKIP in Hartlepool has a secretary who clearly has problems in understanding present developments in the EU, such as a parliament growing in power, democratically-elected Members of the European Parliament, the thorough scrutiny of any proposed legislation by ministers from the member states in the Council of Ministers etc.

In his letter (HAS, Dec 29), his misconceptions belie credibility. To correct:

In Britain, the country controls its own borders;

Our country is in full control of our asylum and immigration policy;

The US was hoping that Britain would be a bridge to the rest of Europe;

There is no EU army and none is planned. The setting up of a rapid reaction force is being discussed. (Some countries already have them under UN auspices);

Care is taken not to undermine Nato in any way;

It was entirely right that the Convention on Human Rights became part of English Law. Magna Carta emerged here as a forerunner demanding Habeas Corpus to be applied and ensuring that no person was imprisoned without a charge laid.

Frankly, the dangerous institution the UKIP secretary talks about is clearly UKIP itself, spreading untruths about this country, its judiciary and the European Union. - E Whittaker, Richmond.

FOXHOUNDS

I AGREE with M Embling (HAS, Dec 28) about the re-homing of foxhounds, which are dogs after all, but I doubt if the average hunt supporter could care less.

Many country people regard animals as chattels to be used or abused and then dispensed with.

When my father's gundog got too old, he didn't retire him but shot him and got another. That is the mentality of bloodsports people.

In all the hunting debate, the objection to hunting has been the cruelty and nothing else, and this has never been addressed by the hunters. They can't accept that they don't care. - R Brown, Newton Aycliffe.

DURHAM COUNTY COUNCIL

THE correspondent (HAS, Dec 28) who sings the praises for her obvious prejudiced opinion of Durham County Council should consider the over-taxed citizens who, year in year out, are taxed to the hilt.

Since New Labour has been in power, the council tax has nearly doubled and, for many, with nothing in return. We are told the Audit Commission is very pleased with the council. So it should be, it lets the Government off the hook.

The Audit Commission is accountable to the Government and not to those who have to foot the bill. We have councillors doing very nicely and on a good earner at that.

We have a county council that bleeds the district councils and, when services are cut, it doesn't want to know.

The county council is an anachronism of a bygone age and should be scrapped and more authority given to the district councils. Also, the council tax should be spread more evenly because there are far too many who pay nothing at all at the expense of others.

The correspondent can sing praises as much as she likes, but the majority of us don't believe a word that the Audit Commission, the county council or the unions say.

Spin seems to be the byword of the Government and must be catching. - John Young, Crook.

SUE Wild believes Durham County Council is an "authority to be proud of" (HAS, Dec 28).

There is little doubt that working class people have suffered under New Labour. County Durham has the highest rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom.

Economic growth in Durham County fares no better, having the lowest rate (1.1 per cent) of anywhere in the United Kingdom despite continuous significant growth in the GDP of the rest of Great Britain.

The difference in growth between the counties of the Thames Valley and County Durham is greater than in any other country in western Europe.

It is an appalling state of affairs. - John Beech, Kelloe.