Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1098850
19 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MARCH 2019 Mikiel Galea Save the turtle dove I am pleased that for once, Malta's Ornis Committee has realised the im- portance of protecting the turtle dove due to its vulnerable status. Turtle doves are ecologically unique, being Europe's only long distance mi- gratory dove. They spend just a third of the year on their breeding grounds in Europe and spend the winter on their non-breeding grounds in sub-Saharan West Africa. Today this bird is facing a loss of suitable habitat in both the breeding and non-breeding range, and unsus- tainable levels of hunting. Research carried out in England shows that adult turtle doves are producing half as many chicks as they were in the 1970s. Un- like other pigeon species, turtle doves are obligate granivores – their diet is formed exclusively of seeds. The lack of available weed seeds in the countryside, as well as dietary switch from weed seeds to cereal grains has been associ- ated with an alarming reduction in nesting attempts. But of most concern, is the fact that with an estimated population of 3-6 mil- lion pairs of turtle dove breeding in Eu- rope and Russia, the annual hunting bag total in EU member states alone – at least in 2007 – was estimated at 2-3 million birds. It is clear that hunting is a signifi- cant factor driving population declines. Please support BirdLife in convinc- ing Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to be bold and abolish the spring hunting season, or if possible that this should not extend further than mid-April to avoid the peak migration of turtle dove. The Maltese can do so much to save the turtle dove from extinction. Martijn van der Vlugt, Rotterdam 'Exorcism' of babies Fr Renè Camilleri was recently inter- viewed by a local newspaper. He said: "It no longer makes sense to baptise newborn babies." This reminded me of the last time I attended a baptism in a Roman Catholic church, way back in the 1990s. I watched the young mother proudly cradling her sleeping baby in her arms. An aura of purity enveloped the baby's radiant face. The guests at the cer- emony moved to the font to watch the baby being baptised. The priest prayed for the innocent baby, born of the "holy sacrament" of marriage, that it may be cleansed of "sin". The priest's "prayer of exorcism" symbolised the baby's "renunciation of the devil". The baby's mother would have been shocked if she had really understood what was being done to her baby. In the Dark Ages, Pope Gregory "the Great" preached that unbaptised ba- bies went to hell. As time went on, his brutal theology was modified with an eternal "limbo" for unbaptised babies. Only recently was this barbaric doc- trine consigned back to the Dark Ages where it belonged. John Guillaumier St Julian's A timely word The world is full of surprises. Not by any stretch of the imagination could anyone envisage that perhaps only John Guillaumier and Anthony Collins in the whole universe have proved that there is no God. This is surely a monumental blip because to prove God does not exist is impossible. In the first instance, I believe that Collins was misquoted. He asserted that the importance of natural religion claimed to believe in a future life but rejected revelation, which is above reason but not contrary to it. That's as far as he went. I would not refer to medieval times to complicate my life (as the Italians say) on this subject but thanks to Mr Guil- laumier, whose enthusiasm knows no bounds, the polemic cropped up gain. I would fast-track to the early years of Christianity, remain in our Island and quote St Paul "who loved us so much by giving us the words of life." (Acts 7:38) God, with His creation, shows Him- self to every intellect. And without faith it is impossible to please God. "For he who comes to God must believe that God exists and is a rewarder to those who seek Him." (Heb 11:16) Yes, the universe and everything in nature exist to speak of God's glory and they do so with astounding power and eloquence, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Who am I to believe Collins or Paul? A person finds joy in giving an apt reply and how good is a timely word (Proverbs 15:23) and a prayer. John Azzopardi Zabbar Letters & Clarifications