His litany of reasons for the failing health of the wishing tree, saying it is emblematic of the omnipotence of God, is so logically and scientifically flawed that it will be truly amazing if there are others who subscribe to this preposterous notion. Tossing aside the indubitably materialist rationale that the tree was dying because damage was caused by things being thrown at it, I doubt even the most faithful devotees will readily embrace the hypothesis that somehow God is having a role in this episode. The association seems too implausible and the possibility is too flaky to imagine. It is indeed sad to see the affinity with God descend into the realms of absurdity.

I respect Mr Eason's religion and his strong adherence to his belief. Nevertheless, projecting an aura of righteousness merely upheld by an ancient document is misguided if not downright baleful. Using an ancient scripture as a guide to personal conduct is palatable insofar as the doctrine is confined only to oneself. Any pugnacious attempt by zealous acolytes to cross the threshold beyond the individual perimeter and force their decree upon others is a recipe for disaster.

Lots of past and present calamitous conflicts in human history bear witness to this type of hubris and intolerance, notwithstanding his outlandish claim that 'the most successful civilisations since the time of Christ are those which have had a faith in God'. Finally, Mr Eason's opening statement 'the issue for non-believers should not be whether God is real or not, but what it means if he is' resembles Pascal's wager and advice on taking a view.

You should live your life and try to make the world a better place for your being in it, whether or not you believe in God. If there is no God, you have lost nothing and will be remembered fondly by those you left behind. If there is a benevolent God, he will judge you on your merits and not just on whether or not you believed in him.

Jack Teh, Clear Water Bay

Different names for an ultimate reality

Gregory Pek writes wisely, 'Real issues of religion' (April 30). In particular, he states that between religions 'ongoing dialogue is important' and 'understanding is essential for peace'.

I attended an interfaith dialogue meeting at the Kowloon Mosque, hosted by Imam Muhammad Arshad and organised by the Hong Kong Network on Religion and Peace. Our group included men and women from the Muslim, Hare Krishna, Baha'i, Brahma Kumari, Buddhist and Christian communities in Hong Kong. Friends who could not attend but sent their best wishes included members of the Jewish, Hindu and Sai Baba communities.

Our topic was 'Where I find God in my life'. So, unlike some of your recent letter writers, whether God exists is not a contentious issue for us, though we use different names for the ultimate reality.

Rev Matthew Vernon, St John's Cathedral, Central

Statue Square advert boards an eyesore

Are those new advertising boards being erected in Statue Square? If so, they are completely inappropriate in a civic setting such as Statue Square, and are also an eyesore being stuck on top of existing shade structures. Moreover, the installation of a large number of floodlights will add to the overall pollution levels.

Patrick Wilson, Pok Fu Lam

Socialism does not put food on table

The French presidential runoff between conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Segolene Royal continues a contest between self-responsibility and the collectivist mentality first heralded by their 1789 French Revolution.

Socialism, always more adept at producing rhetoric than at putting food on the table, remains credible to a puzzlingly sizeable number of French voters. What explains its residual allure? Arrogant wealth does breed jealous resentment, and the French are especially adept at both - as readers may have noticed. Needed economic reforms are in the offing only if Mr Sarkozy triumphs.

Ron Goodden, Atlanta, US

We must smoke addicts out of public toilets

How many times have you spotted smokers outside shopping malls? You probably won't find many outside these days but the chances are pretty good you will smell their presence in public toilets.

I find it totally unacceptable that shopping mall staff do nothing to stop people from smoking inside toilets. I am sure many readers feel the same when you visit shopping mall toilets or when you help your kids in a smoke-filled washroom. Toilets in shopping malls are fast becoming the gathering places for smokers where they can puff away without risking being caught.

It appears that it is almost impossible to convict someone for smoking behind a toilet door unless you can prove that the person out of sight is breaking the law.

If anyone has a clever way to tackle this problem, could they let the readers and the health department know?

D. Yeung, Tai Po

Kindergarten interview a depressing story

I recently took my two-year-old daughter to a famous and established local kindergarten for an interview.

At the interview, I was shocked to see how it was conducted: first a Chinese teacher put all the toys on the table and simply ordered my daughter to play.

She didn't say a single word and there was no interaction with my daughter. She simply stood there and looked at my daughter.

Later, a young English girl came in holding a story book. She sat down and started to read the book loudly to my daughter, literally word-by-word. Again, there was no imaginative illustration or smile or side stories.

To put it simply, no efforts were made by either teacher to reach out to my daughter.

If when dealing with a two-year-old, the teachers of this school make no effort to be imaginative and interactive, how much confidence should I have when my daughter goes to high school?

Moreover, we never received any letter from the school explaining to us how the interview went and what the result was.

Now I am applying for international schools for my daughter and I am appalled to see how long the waiting lists are and how much they cost.

I believe my experience resonates with many other parents in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong prides itself as Asia's world city.

Yet I find it appalling that middle-class people like us find it such a struggle to get good and affordable education for our children.

It's even more appalling to know how much more our senior government officials in education are earning and how much luckier their kids can be when applying to schools in Hong Kong.

S. Wang, Mid-Levels