‘God did it’ is a logical fallacy

sIr, – How does Michael Harley (Letters, April 10) get from “time and matter must have a first cause”, ignoring the lack of any proof of this, to therefore God did it?

He attempts to discredit scientific exploration as “quantum gymnastics” and instead of giving the correct current answer to this quandary which is “we don’t know yet” assumes there must be a “candidate” and without an iota of proof substitutes God as the only possible answer.

This logical fallacy is known as the “God of the gaps” theory, people used to think lightening was caused by the god Thor, we now understand the natural mechanism – one day we may understand the start of the universe but until then you can’t just substitute in “God did it”.

John Hedger, Pottery House, Dores, Loch Ness

is ludicrous, as the patients there have nowhere to go to. Not only this, but bed numbers are also being reduced from 48 to 42.

What if new patients needed to be admitted? Would they be turned away due to the shortages of beds and the lack of nurses?

This is a total outrage and something has got to be done to rectify the nursing shortages and the lack of beds available at this most important hospital.

Allan Damien Goodwin, Birchwood

Court, Inshes Wood, Inverness