I’VE noticed that the local paper regularly features a page titled ‘Focus On Faith’, which is proclaimed as being for all belief systems – Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc. Yet fails to include secular, atheist, humanist or other non-religious views or voices.

It seems from the title of the page, focus on ‘faith’, and the nature of it, that the significant and increasing number of people who lead happy successful and productive lives, and make a valuable contribution to the community and society without the need to appeal to supernaturalism or archaic superstition, are somehow abnormal or should be sidelined and ignored, and are not worthy of any kind of acknowledgement or voice in the local paper.

Why are religious ideas given a page and a voice in the local paper, and non religious views deemed not to be worthy of such a service?

I have no wish to denigrate those who derive some benefit from religious ideas, but I would like to be able to find out about local atheist, secular, humanist or other non-religious groups or events in the local paper.

There are a growing number of us out here, why is our need and right to gather and connect with others of like mind not served in the local paper which we also pay for?

Mr R W George Highfield, Southampton