ROB MEGGS is extremely fond of the work bigotry which he generously applied to religious people. This is self-deception.

To Mr Meggs, anyone who disagrees with him is a bigot.

Are all religious people bigoted or anti-gay? Certainly not. I’m not and nor are my friends.

Indeed, it’s our very faith values that stop us from being so.

Bigotry comes in many forms from many sources, including people of no religious belief.

As for Mr Meggs’ much vaunted secular atheism, history records that three of the most ‘bigoted’ regimes were the secular atheist governments of Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot who exterminated millions of human beings regarded as of no value, a policy underpinned by materialistic atheism.

If religion is, as he claims, a “superstition” then perhaps we should be thankful.

After all, what a wonderful ‘superstition’ it must be to have given us our cultural heritage including architecture, cathedrals, colleges, hospitals, art, literature, music and medicine.

Even our very town resonates with Christian heritage – Darlington can boast Clare Avenue, Nunnery Lane, Carmel Road.

And, of course, there is The Northern Echo’s own head office which is situated in Priestgate.

Michael Baldasera, Darlington.