It is a pretty obvious thought, but a sceptic like me has always struggled with it and I am now coming round. The Bible, particularly the New Testament, is the greatest and most positive thought ever written.

Priests and ministers of religion often talk in terms of doing the right thing. Actually, they might make more progress if they said what religion and the Bible could do for them. I know it’s selfish, but it’s good to make progress with a little selfishness rather than not at all.