THE Rev Andrew Frater (Letters, June 4) defends his welcome of a visiting theologian to his church ("Resurrection-denying preacher plans return trip", The Herald, June 2) by stating: "By looking at the resurrection stories metaphorically one is not denying them; one is enhancing their significance in the present day." How ludicrous.

If the resurrection of Christ is metaphorical, there is no resurrection, and therefore we Christians peddle a false hope of life after death.

If Christ is not risen, he is then dead as a doornail, and the Christian faith is nothing but a "nice", yet tragic story, about a strange man called Jesus, who gave us an example as to how to live ... end of story. To deny the physical resurrection of Christ makes a mockery of Christianity.

The actual physical, not metaphorical, resurrection of Christ is central to the Christian faith. It confirms Christ's person as the Son of God (Romans 1) and also gives hope for the future, beyond this life. Without the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no Christianity, no message of forgiveness or hope, nothing beyond the grave.

Alasdair H B Fyfe,

59 Mearns Road,

Clarkston, Glasgow.

THE several books that are collectively known as "The Bible" comprise a huge range of genres from poetry, song, myth and parable, and includes some which are unfamiliar to Western culture (for example, apocalyptic). To read all of these literally like a recipe for baking a cake is plain stupid. To airily categorise them all as "metaphor" is just as foolish.

The Rev Andrew Frater in claiming that the resurrection is just a metaphor is as much a cop out as the crude literalism he opposes. One requires discrimination and guidance in interpreting the Bible - and a clear recognition of what is and is not historical.

Paul was a real person, trilingual, soaked in two cultures, and an intelligent writer. When he said, "If Christ be not risen, my faith is in vain" he knew the enormity of what he was saying, and he meant what he said.

When Thomas addressed the risen Christ as "My Lord and My God", he was not just making a pious exclamation ("gosh, fancy seeing you here"). He was making a creedal statement. As a Jew and a strict monotheist, he was saying that Christ is Yahweh, and he is risen.

When Nero persecuted the Christians in 64 AD, the spectacle was illuminated by means of the "tunica molesta". This was made by soaking strips of canvas in bitumen, wrapping these round the victim, setting this alight, and hauling it up to provide a human torch. Christians were torn to pieces by wild animals or crucified by the light of the burning bodies of their fellow martyrs.

Many of these martyrs were Jewish converts and could have known the Apostles personally. Indeed, a contemporary Jewish Christian would have to be no older than I am now, to have known Jesus in the flesh.

They suffered martyrdom because of an unyielding conviction that Christ is risen, and is Lord and God, as Thomas had acknowledged. They did not suffer such horrendous torments and death, because of support for any "metaphorical reality", no matter how plausible this may seem to Bishop Jack Spong and his followers.

Brian M Quail,

2 Hyndland Avenue, Glasgow.

The Rev Andrew Frater's attack on the Scriptures is as regrettable as his decision to welcome Jack Spong. For a Church of Scotland minister to treat the Bible so disparagingly is, sadly, no longer surprising, but it is shocking nevertheless.

He blindly ignores the catastrophic effect that views like these have had on the national church, with such rejection of divinely revealed truth as we see in his letter gradually destroying what is left of Knox's Kirk.

If Mr Frater were a lawyer, and he sat as loosely to the law of the land as he does to the law of God, then he wouldn't get many clients. A lawyer who ignores the law can only harm the interests of his clients. And a Kirk minister who ignores God's law can hardly be regarded as serving the best interests of his congregation.

Meanwhile, churches that take the Bible seriously, and seek faithfully to apply its message today (the message of Christ crucified and risen - giving hope, meaning and purpose) are generally experiencing growth and renewal.

Mr Frater is in clear breach of his ordination vows regarding adherence to Scripture and the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the Presbytery of Dumbarton had any courage and conviction should move for disciplinary action against him immediately.

Rev David S. Randall,

Minister of Falkirk Free Church,

13 Cannons Way, New Carron Village, Falkirk.

THE flaw in Rev Andrew Frater's reduction of New Testament record to metaphor is that it replaces Jesus Christ with human intelligence thereby reducing access to God only to clever well educated people. This forms the basis of a cult distinctive from living knowledge of and faith in Jesus Christ which is available universally to the humble hearted.

Rev Dr Robert Anderson,

Blackburn & Seafield Church,

5 MacDonald Gardens, Blackburn, West Lothian.

WHILE playing golf yesterday I smashed a drive 50 yards out of bounds. I turned to my opponent and said: "Please don't take that shot literally, I have a metaphorical ball lying 300 yards down the fairway and that is the one I will play for my next shot."

His reply may have been Ancient but it certainly wasn't Royal. Even though I quoted Progressive Bishop Spong no ice was cut - it was three off the tee or concede the hole. This, of course, is a parable; definitely not to be taken literally.

David Waters,

187 Carlisle Road, Kirkmuirhill, South Lanarkshire.