Tide turns against idea of a caring creator

IF Fr Con McGillicuddy wishes to present “simple but cogent arguments” for the existence of an all-powerful designer, he’ll have to do better than his homily (Letters, September 17) in which he asserts that the earth has been journeying around the sun every 365½ days for millions of years.

There are two errors here. First, the current year is actually nearer 365¼ days — which is why there’s a leap year every four years.

Second, the journey hasn’t been going on for millions of years; it’s gradually slowing up because of the braking effect of the tides. Millions of years ago the day on earth was only 20 hours, and each year consisted of more than 400 days.

This process will eventually grind to a halt and everything on earth will be incinerated, which doesn’t seem to me to be convincing evidence for a benign and caring creator.

David Sowby

Knocksinna Crescent

Dublin 18