I read with interest Michael Brucciani's letter ("Constantine and the Church", Mailbox, August 15) in which he sets out the details of one of the many schisms in early Christianity.

He wrote: "When the divinity of Christ was attacked by the Arian heresy, Emperor Constantine helped to arrange the Council of Nicaea in 325AD.

"This confirmed what had always been taught and believed by the Church.

"In denying the divinity of Christ, the Arians removed the foundation of all belief in the Catholic Faith. They became physically aggressive in promoting this false teaching, thereby cutting off their families from the means of salvation.

"As a last resort, the civil authorities, with the support of the Catholic Church, suppressed this danger to the souls of future generations and to civil order".

The final paragraph encapsulates the problem caused by absolutist religions whose believers have no doubts about their "faith". If you believe that there is only one way to salvation (or to avoid hell) then anything that might cause your children not to believe threatens their eternal soul.

This threat is therefore perceived by believers as much more dangerous than the threat of violence, or even death, to their children.

Consequently heresy is seen as the greatest crime that can be committed and the most barbarous forms of death penalty are reserved for it.

This explains much of the religious violence that has occurred over the centuries and is still extant.

Such beliefs remain a threat to a peaceful society and trying to ensure that such absolutist religions do not gain any form of power is one of the reasons that I am a member of Leicester Secular Society.

John Catt, Loughborough.