IN responding to my Thought for the Week (October 31) Owen Morgan (Your Letters, November 7) suggests that my "apparent inability to substantiate... reservations about the Pagan religion is lamentable testimony to the fear and ignorance in which it is still held by some members of the Christian church."

I wrote neither out of fear nor ignorance, but from substantial experience of meeting those whose lives have been damaged by dabbling in the occult. If expressing concern about people hurting themselves is considered intolerant, then what sort of a society do we live in?

The Pagan religion to which Mr Morgan subscribes has been around in various guises for a long time. It was certainly around at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, which Christians celebrate at Christmas.

However, at the heart of the Christian faith is an awesome claim, which cannot be hidden in some sort of Christmastide/Winter Solstice 'tolerant' mishmash. Either Jesus Christ shows us the truth about God, or he doesn't.

We may try to have our seasonal cake and eat it but it will only give us indigestion. A choice has to be made.

JOHN BARR, Clarence Road, Malvern.