LETTER : They deserve Dawkins diatribe

Sir: As a scientific officer working in the public domain I must acknowledge the Rev Ian Kenway's assertion (letter, 11 March) that I bear a responsibility to account for my activities.

I certainly would not wish to pontificate on questions of the philosophy of science or the writings of C P Snow, since I have had formal training in neither. However subscribing to an ancient, ill-defined and shifting set of metaphysical values (insert the progressive religion of your choice) or a set of ancient immutable dogmatic misconceptions (insert the fundamentalist religion of your choice) does not qualify one for such a task either.

My understanding of Professor Dawkins's argument was that there is a media circus that feels obliged to recruit not one, but several spokesmen for the many cults and religions that clutter our modern culture. The consequence is that the transmission of clear, testable scientific information is obscured by sheer weight of numbers. It seems to me entirely appropriate that an individual like Professor Dawkins, charged with the responsibility of enhancing the public understanding of science, should highlight this folly.

G R TAYLOR PhD MRCPath

Leeds