THE Bishop of Oxford (The Issue, March 9) is surely more educated in theology and church history than I am, and he cannot be ignorant of the origins and nature of the Lenten fast.

It has no place in the worship of the one who said “a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit”.

The primitive church of the apostles, and for centuries after, knew nothing of Lent and, in fact Easter at that time was well recognised as the pagan festival of the goddess Astarte, or Ishtar as the Babylonians called her.

It was only as the corrupted church in Rome amalgamated pagan celebrations, changing the calendar to do so, that Easter gradually acquired its links with the story of Jesus.

I know that the Bishop puts a fair gloss on all this, but the fact remains that Lent is a Roman invention as far as it is observed in the present church, with all the superstition that accompanies such.

It should be seen for what it is; part of the pursuit of salvation by human efforts, and, as such, an insult to the gospel of Christ.

Let Christians avoid it. You will do yourself more good.

ALAN BOURNE, Steventon Road, Drayton