I HAVE been on holiday, but now I am back, feel I must respond to G K Ryland (You Say, August 9).

He may think life is fine without God, but believe me, he is wrong. The most painful times of my life have been a direct result of going my own way and then suffering the consequences.

Furthermore, I, along with the majority of Christians, would never say that suffering is God's will. Most suffering is due to human mistakes and sin.

For example, Aids. This goes directly back to sexual sin and leads to innocent children being born with it. How is that God's will?

Aids is directly due to our ignoring of God's guidelines for our lives. If people choose to sin in this way, how can you blame God for their suffering?

If people didn't disobey God's laws then there would be much less suffering. If God intervened in such things does that not compromise our own free will?

Regarding G K Ryland's continued happy unbelief, may I just say, just because G K Ryland hasn't seen Jesus does not mean he doesn't exist.

Have you ever insisted on seeing the pilot before getting on an aeroplane? Probably not.

Why? Because you have faith that he is there and will get you to your destination safely. Need I say more?

LAURA CAMMACK,

St John's, Worcester.