Dear Sir,

Let me see if I’ve got this right. According to Christian religions, God is love. OK, sounds good. And, according to Christian religions, we should love our fellow human beings in God’s own image. Great. Respect.

So love of God and of our neighbours is the highest denomination we have to value and consecrate our God-gifted humanity. Love God; love my neighbour in the love of God; “love is all you need.” Perfect.

Well, not exactly. Because some Bible-blinkered boffins say: “Love each other, yes indeed. Consecrate your love in my church, ie, marry, absolutely, brothers and sisters, hallelujah.

“But, whoa. If you’re two sisters or two brothers who want to consecrate your love in (cue shudder, palpitations, perspiration, wringing of hands ...) marriage, then stop at my door, turn around, hit the road, and hie thee thither. Because the Bible says, Hey, Sunny-Jim: not on my watch!”

With the currency of love in the world so threatened so constantly by the debasement of hatred, you’d think it might be a good thing to consecrate it in all its myriad God-gifted forms. It’s the universal power of love we should sanctify for the supremacy of our humanity, rather than the didactics of the Bible accountants, who merely authorise the kind of love they are blinkered to approve of.

Sincerely,

IN LOVE WE TRUST