When exam day arrives, God will mark the papers

On the matter of Brian McClinton, an academic and practising humanist, writing his personal opinion on Christmas in the News Letter ('˜How much does Christmas truly owe to Jesus Christ?,' December 21) and the replies to him (Letters Dec 24, 26 and 27 '” click here for letters section), I firstly say that as a leading educationalist lecturing in the Friends Quaker Grammar School in Lisburn, he would know their ethos of high achievement and belief in a relationship with God.

As a professional with a wide spectrum of knowledge he would have been highly skilled in teaching the curriculum.

However, whilst he is accurate on some trappings that became attached to some practices, they are not the building blocks adopted by the Protestant Reformers as the core tenets of our Bible faith and practice.

As far as free thinking is concerned, Christian believers have cognitive capacities as well as humanists to decide on spiritual and material matters during life’s journey.

The call to choose occurs often in both the Old and New Testaments. Once a choice is made Christian Believers are entitled to hold the sum of their calculations like anyone else.

However, when exam day arrives God will mark the papers.

David Barbour, Coleraine