Good dose of atheism encourages healthy debate

WE should all be grateful to those atheists who have recently been contributing to your columns.

Ireland can only benefit from a good dose of atheism so as to challenge some of the unhelpful certainty that surrounds the Christian churches.

Here in Oxford there has been a very healthy continuing debate between those who believe in God and those that do not. I have found that the challenge of atheism has strengthened my beliefs. What is clear is that neither being an atheist nor a theist implies that you are very clever and rational. There are some very bright people on both sides of the current debate. It is quite reasonable to be a believer or a non-believer.