I see that Professor Steven Reiss has decided that the pursuit of religion is simply an attempt to satisfy 16 basic human desires (Faith: the naked truth, Comment, October 18). However, he does not include the human desire to find real meaning and purpose in life and to discover why we are all here.

I accept that belief in a God is a matter of faith. In pure scientific terms we cannot prove that God exists.

Similarly we cannot prove that God, however we understand the term, does not exist. It is a matter of faith.

I prefer to believe that there must be some reason for our existence, and that some day the "reason" may yet become clear.

Ron Lavalette

Ardrossan