n ALTHOUGH quoting the ultimate authority, George Cowley and the pacifist parsons have so far failed to influence our Prime Minister, Parliament or the public (You Say, Friday, April 18).

This suggests to me that the church is faced with a leadership problem and a moral dilemma.

Casting my mind back to the days of my youth I can hardly imagine the stoical characters that crammed our churches to capacity responding to left-wing propaganda or even condescending to participate in today's services.

Modern Biblical translations were regarded as simplifications suitable only for Sunday Schools. Rather than an inflexible rulebook the Bible was a way of relating present problems to historical experience.

Everyone enjoyed the music and a good old sing-song, but no one paid too much attention to the parson's pronouncements.

He was usually careful to avoid controversy. However, once our democratically-elected leaders reached a decision, the church invariably rallied behind them. To do otherwise was regarded as treasonable.

Then, as now, common sense usually prevailed, with or without dogmatic justification.

JOHN HINTON,

Worcester.