FORMER vicar turned author Graham Taylor says Jerry Springer - The Opera is an attack on Christianity (January 10).

I watched it too but, in my case, all the way through. The first half is a sharply observed lampoon of the worst of American TV, as epitomised by the Jerry Springer Show, hence the abundance of bad language.

The second half carries on in this vein, but broadens its scope to include some of the less plausible aspects of Christian belief as well, aspects that many Christians don't accept literally.

Mr Taylor is, of course, perfectly entitled to stop watching because of bad language, but I don't see what that has to do with religion.

But the second half doesn't start until about an hour into the show. If Mr. Taylor only watched ten minutes and gave up because of bad language, he can't have seen any of the supposed "attack on Christianity" at all.

He totally undermines his own argument by making it plain he can't possibly know what he's talking about.

As for "Christians.... being discriminated against", my a**e (time to turn off).

Alan Robinson,

Lindley Street,

Holgate, York.

Updated: 10:32 Thursday, January 13, 2005