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3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JANUARY 2022 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Man's self- importance BERTRAND Russell observed: "Self-im- portance, individual or generic, is the source of most Christian beliefs. Theo- logians enjoy the feeling that Man is the special object of God's love." In a write-up in a local newspaper just before Christmas, a Catholic priest unwittingly projected onto God man's self-importance. He wrote that God "is so madly in love with us that He became one of us". Russell went on to say: "The whole of theology takes it for granted that Man is what is of most importance in the uni- verse." Prior to Copernicus, Christians be- lieved that the planet they inhabited was the centre of the universe, and that the whole of creation was made for their convenience. If God created man in His own image, men have more than reciprocated: in the Bible, Yahweh is boastful, jealous, wrath- ful and vengeful – just like men. Christians like to flatter themselves that God, the "Creator" of a cosmos con- taining billions of stars and galaxies, took time out from overseeing the universe in order to "die" for their sins. When a Christian prays, he expects nature's laws to be suspended or an- nulled on behalf of a confessedly "un- worthy sinner". The Christian notion of an "afterlife" is based on wishful thinking and the innate self-importance of man, as Albert Einstein observed: "Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of the body, although feeble souls harbour such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism." In his collection of poems entitled Moments of Vision, Thomas Hardy intended to mortify the human sense of self-importance by suggesting that hu- man beings are of no matter or of appre- ciable value in an impersonal universe. John Guillaumier St Julian's The transcendent dividing line A fortnight ago I had invited J. Guillaum- ier to accept the gift of salvation because our souls were made to hold the ocean of perfection not to settle only for a cupful of same ocean of life. As we get closer to the fire, we feel a greater heat; as we get closer to the Infinite for which we are made, our joy increases. Certainly, and obviously settling for some kind of procession, pilgrimage or other visible temporal manifestation does not completely satisfy the soul. A repentant and humble soul is certainly a better disposition. As Frans Werfel said: "This line of the finite must be crossed somehow or other. It is crossed above by faith,it is crossed below by insanity." I believe that the words that "For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible", are also attribut- ed to him. John Azzopardi Zabbar Voice for disabled THE Malta Federation of Organisa- tions Persons with Disability (MFOPD) happily notes that last year, 2021, was a positive year for us. It was the first whole year that the disability sector was man- aged by its own much needed minister. The sector has finally been given the true importance it merits. What happened in 2021 within the disability sector is something the present MFOPD committee members never witnessed. The voice of all persons with disability started being heard and being present more than ever. Throughout last year and through MFOPD, the voice of the persons with disability was given the opportunities to be heard and consid- ered. This happened because our minister truly believes in the voice of persons with disability. Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli put herself in our shoes and is walking our journey with us. This is the greatness of our minister. She has changed the way, the how and the when the voice of persons with disability should be heard. 2021 has seen a radical change in all this. This change could not happen with- out the constant support of permanent secretary Matthew Vella. He is an expert in our field as he comes from the social sector. There is a good, open commu- nication and team work between our minister and the permanent secretary which is felt among those around them. This is very healthy and most important to our sector. Fortunately, they also act like this with all of us working within the disability sector. Looking ahead, MFOPD sees a more stable disability sector with the persons with disability being always at the centre of every discussion and decision taken. The journey in the right direction has finally started. Marthese Mugliette President, MFOPD