WE SHOULD not be too surprised at a report of a decline in religion in the UK, as seized upon by John White of the Oxford Humanists (Letters, September 14); it is after all, forecast in the Bible.

The Lord Jesus in Matthew 24 declared that in later times there will be ‘wars and rumours of wars … nation will rise up against nation … (and) many will turn away from the faith.’

Writing to Timothy (2 Tim 3), St Paul said that people would become ‘lovers of self … rather than lovers of God’ – which seems an apt description of humanism.

However, Christ went on to say that although many would fall away, those who stayed faithful would be saved, and there are many thriving congregations in and around Oxford and elsewhere of faithful worshippers (including healthy numbers of young people) witnessing to the power and grace of the living, loving God.

Rylan Gray, Witney