FORTUNATELY HAS readers can differentiate between a jaundiced anti-religious tirade from Rob Meggs and reality (HAS, May 25).

The church is accused of being against the good things in life.

What nonsense.

The church, all major religions constituting 90 per cent of the world’s population, and many people of no religion, rightly question the worship of pleasure, hedonism and excess.

He also says “the Church has nothing to offer” – wrong again.

A pre-papal visit (Echo, Sept 14, 2010) profiled the Catholic Church as running 5,246 hospitals, 17,530 dispensaries, 577 leprosy clinics, as well as 15,208 houses for the elderly, chronically ill and people with physical and learning difficulties worldwide.

It provides 12 million school places in sub-Saharan Africa.

In effect, the Church is the largest global social service.

Mr Meggs conveniently forgets that the term “broken Britain” derives not from church sources but from our “secular representatives”.

Regarding his fixation with clerical dress: would Mr Meggs have lawyers, academics, medics, bus drivers, police and soldiers turn out Rab Nesbitt-style with a string vest and unshaven chin?

All life’s pleasures – food, drink and material niceties – are God’s gifts, but not a substitute for Him.

Michael Baldasera Darlington.