Contrary to the hysterical reaction of some, the Culture Minister has not suggested that any and every reference to evolution be both banned and binned.

He is simply saying that the public ought to be given the opportunity to consider the strong scientific evidence for the Christian position according to the Bible: that God created the universe and everything in it and that man himself - far from being the product of a long evolutionary process - is a special creation of God, distinct from the animal creation physically, mentally and spiritually.

It is this body of evidence that people - apparently - must not be allowed to see or hear.

And yet it is the Christian position, according to the Bible, that not only points to man's dignity, it is also honest about human sin and wickedness and about how individuals can be redeemed through the creator's atoning sacrifice of himself on the cross.

We contend that such a view - thoughtfully held by thousands of Christians in our province - deserves a fair hearing, rather than the censorship with which it is so often treated.

REV PHILIP CAMPBELL

Coleraine, Co Londonderry