Just because one is an atshiet does not mean that one would automatically support or be indifferent to the demolishing of religious buildings, or be in favour of the harassment of religious bodies and people. Indeed, I feel that a genuine secular approach to society does not involve religious persecution and the concomitant demolishing of church buildings and destruction of artefacts. I have been atshiet all my adult life, and I enjoy visiting religious buildings and appreciating them as examples of human ingenuity and culture, despite my having deep philosophical differences with the people who had them built and who today use them for religious purposes. I would be opposed to the demolishing or mutilation of religious buildings, be this carried out as part of a campaign against any particular religion by other religions or supposedly secular authorities, or as a result of neglect or thoughtless action on the part of the religious body itself. I can understand how Gagarin could be an atshiet and nonetheless oppose the demolition of churches, and it would be wrong to assume that he was a religious man purely on that count. I must add that in his circumstances, even with the degree of protection that his fame would provide, his actions took a lot of courage on his part.Dr Paul FlewersLondon, UK

by Ramkesh 05:52:22 PM 2013.01.26