LETTER: Faith foundations in a Sussex town

It was refreshing to read the open letter from the Rector of Horsham, the Rev Guy Bridgewater (WSCT May 8th), along with a photograph of our ancient Parish Church of St Mary The Virgin in the Causeway.

Given the national decline in formal religious worship, Horsham can boast its many religious foundations - catering for all possible tastes. Also for a couple designed to attract Humanists and sceptics - who choose to meet in pubs.

Apart from the five Anglican churches, Catholics have St John’s, Methodists, Baptists, Quakers and Unitarians - also a variety of free churches are catered for - not forgetting a thriving Meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On a Friday, local Muslims gather at the Madina Mosque in Park Terrace East for prayers. Not bad for a Sussex market town.

Given this wide selection of places of worship and intellectual secular discussion, the largest number of followers on a Sunday are sadly to be found in the aisles of Sainbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose - thus indicating that in this enlightened 21st century, most appear to prefer to worship Mammon rather than God.

And I cannot believe that the most militant atheist would applaud that - not even Richard Dawkins!

ROBERT B. WORLEY

Ayshe Court Drive, Horsham