Dave Jones is to be congratulated on his excellent letter (Letters, February 21) in which he restored some balance to last Saturday's essay by Jean Calder.
He is right to point out that a number of faiths and denominations have their own functioning courts and tribunals, all of which are accommodations (the Archbishop of Canterbury's word) with the law of the land. And they must all, as Mr Jones points out, operate within the law which binds us all, regardless of faith. I share Mr Jones's embarrassment (I hope that's the right word) at writing in defence of Dr Williams.
As an Oxford academic, he was a free and independent spirit, able to express views which were not generally accepted and often challenging.
In those days he even gave a memorial address to the AGM of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement in which a positive assessment of homosexuality was delivered.
His elevation to the archiepiscopate of Canterbury appears to have robbed him of the independence and integrity he once had.
- Michael B Johnson, Kevin Gardens, Brighton
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