Letter: The church and the arms trade are old allies

As an engineer with the Ministry of Defence I take issue with your article "Outrage as arms firm sponsors St Paul's cathedral" (13 April). Lockheed Martin is engaged in a number of research areas, including virtual reality, to make military training cheaper thus freeing money for health services etc; and software research to provide predictable software architectures, essential to keep planes flying and prevent industrial disasters similar to Bhopal. Members of the same church that accuses St Paul's are not averse to praying for the Queen, the head of the armed forces.

The church should get real and disestablish itself instead of continuing to try to set the political agenda with a constant flow of outspoken opinions. These are more typical of a sniping Judas, trying to betray democracy to autocrats, than a truly compassionate and forgiving body.

Nick Hales

Bath, Avon