I DON'T know who rattled R Goodman's cage (Shuttle/Times & News Letters, February 28), but let me assure him that, overwhelmingly, atheists do not scoff, nor are they cynical of, the beliefs of anybody.

Neither do they get a free weekly propaganda programme courtesy of the BBC, or have tribes of earnest be-suited young men hanging on front doors handing out anti-religious tracts, or publish weekly magazines, run poster campaigns, or take nationwide tours in order to drum up support.

We just quietly get on with our lives, unlike the R Goodmans of the world who obviously feel that the fragility of their various religions necessitates the above.

A critical, if somewhat jaundiced, eye may well be cast toward the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, Indonesia, Northern Ireland etc where opposing religious factions are intent on slaughtering each other.

My personal philosophy, for what it's worth, is that the illogical believe, and the logical just hope the sun doesn't go out.

L CHARLES

Springfield Lane, Kidderminster