Attack on religions designed to provoke intolerant reaction

As I sit here reading Tony Pettengell’s ‘Off Message’ article entitled “Apocalypse now…”
(Personnel Today, 5 June), I can’t work out if he is being seriously and intentionally offensive to a large number of religious people of all types, attempting to unite world religions (and sci-fi fans) by giving them a common enemy to fight against, or if he is just a rascally journalist, writing in a deliberately provocative attempt to produce ‘intolerant’ reactions from those who disagree with him.

Personally, I feel that he has described himself perfectly in his article when he speaks of “the mad ramblings of intolerant individuals”. He is certainly correct in his assertion that “human rights are incompatible with religious beliefs” as it seems that, in this day and age, anyone with a religious belief is denied the basic human right of respect.

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If Pettengell gets a bad reaction to his article from those who hold religious beliefs dear, I dare him to write a similarly offensive piece about gay rights activists. Or is it OK for people who choose one lifestyle to be afforded protection and respect, but not those who choose another?

Phil Wainwright, director of HR, Pilgrim Homes