East and West

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 20

East and West

Sir, —Empirical evidence does not support Geoff Leicester’s theses (November 27) that (1) socialism “seriously impairs a country’s wealth-producing processes,” and that (2) no Christian churches are wealthy. The Soviet Union and China are world super-Powers and adult literacy in Tanzania and Nicaragua has increased enormously in recent times. Such achievements require huge resources. On the second issue, church wealth, one only has to consider how much profit church-owned enterprises, like Sanitarium, make. Mr Leicester is correct in suggesting that churches can help “win co-

operation.” Effective, efficient exploitation rests on such things. As a non “idealist” Mr Leicester, surprisingly, takes for granted the material context in which the ideology of the church operates. The Christian doctrine of inherent “human sin” suggests that human action cannot overcome socially created inequalities. Many Christians, then, retreat into a “turn-the-other-cheek.” mentality — called “co-opera-tion” — and try to persuade others to do the same. — Yours, etc.,

MICHAEL PETERS. November 27, 1987.