People thumpers

Geoffrey Brooking (Letters, May 14) is right to defend the DUP against those who label them as 'bible thumpers'.

A recent newspaper report cited a reference work called ‘Lost Lives’ which alleges the IRA killed 644 civilians; 456 army/ RAF/RN; 273 RUC; 182 UDR; 163 republicans and 28 loyalists.

Terrorists and their political supporters perpetually face a similar problem to the abortion industry: the ugly truth about contempt for human rights and dignity has this unpleasant habit of leaking

out. ‘People thumpers’, who practise dark alleyway justice of a vigilante type, are often a great deal more dangerous than so-called ‘bible thumpers’.

The biblical worldview has decisively shaped our Western regard for civil and human rights, with ‘Man made in the image of God’ a mandate not to thump anyone.

The Church of England’s biblically-derived Alpha Course continues to share

this unique vision with broken humanity, so that people in pain or despair can find peace and joy: ‘the joy of the Lord is your strength’.

J T Hardy by email