Michael Dingwall's letter is worthy of note in that indeed some Christians often take the matter of judging the religious status of others and the assignment of punishment or reward. He might well be right about the attitudes he has faced in his attempt to insist that God does not exist.

I propose, however, that he has the right to his convictions or lack thereof, of the divine existence. Regardless of his stand, I hold to my faith in God and the witness of Christ. It is recorded that "the fool has said in his heart, there is no God". Me thinks there is a case here. If he has resolved the issue of intellectualism without the involvement of God, then he is far in advance of many in the scientific community who, in spite of their intellectual prowess, cannot reconcile our existence without God.

In-depth intellectual thought will bring one face to face with issues that one cannot resolve and yet cannot ignore. He or she must then confess that his or her lack of knowledge demands a great measure of faith, much more than belief in God would require. The evidence of divinity cannot be denied without discarding the obvious. The poet Edward Young once wrote, "By night, an atheist half believes in God." It follows then, that Dingwall may be but half persuaded in his contrarianism and may have closeted his doubts, only opening them to his nocturnal reflections.

Charles Darwin, the off-quoted atheist, repudiated his contrariety in his final days and admitted that he was forced by reason to believe that there was a God. Perhaps Dingwall is saving his best thoughts to voice them last.

I am, etc.,

S. PETER CAMPBELL

speterc@aol.com

Havertown,

Pennsylvania