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Dr Alexander S Waugh rightly corrects my typing error placing John Calvin (1509-1564) in the seventeenth rather than the sixteenth century. He was, in fact, a "sixteenth-century French divine". However, on the issue of Calvin being "much less of a predestinarian" than Luther or Zwingli we can only form our opinions from the history we read. My historical reading sources are unequivocal. They say the spirit of Zwinglianism reached its fullest development in the theology, political theories, and ecclesiastic thought of John Calvin.

More so than Martin Luther, Calvin created the patterns and thought that would dominate western culture throughout the modern period. Unlike Luther, Calvin believed that only the "elect" were predestined for salvation and everyone else for damnation. American culture, in particular, remains Calvinist in some form or another, as do non-Lutheran churches in Holland, Germany, the Scottish Free Church and the more rigorous Scottish Free Presbyterian Church.

Calvin is referred to as a fierce and imposing reformer. Despite vigorous defence by his remaining supporters such as Dr Waugh, Calvinism was and remains an austere, punitive and proscriptive persuasion never associated with laughter, happiness or fun. In fact when Calvin controlled the Geneva Consistory, which acted as the guardian of the town's morals, one of his edicts was that offences ranged from "propounding false doctrine to moral infractions, such as wild dancing and bawdy singing". Much later and in keeping with this doctrine, the commissioners of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland passed an 1865 act banning dancing which was read in every church in Edinburgh.

They also took exception to the New Year celebrations that were observed throughout Europe. None of the usual festive songs were to be sung in Scotland nor were singers of such songs to be admitted into a man's private house. Christenings were similarly treated where Scots were in the habit of assembling crowds of relations to celebrate. These were now forbidden and strictly supervised by the clergy to prevent the possibility of anyone being "improperly happy" on such an occasion.

There also remains the matter of Michael Servetus, Spanish theologian and physician who discovered that blood circulates to the lungs from the right chamber of the heart. He published several treatises attacking the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. He was arrested by Calvin and burnt as a heretic.

Finally, like all atheists, I profoundly respect Dr Waugh's right to hold his beliefs. I simply disagree with him, and respectfully retain the right to correct his factual errors as he did to mine.

Bill Macaskill, Inverness.Mr Quail states (Letters, July 18) that the flourishing of religion in capitalist America does not disprove his contention that the decline in church attendance in Western Europe is a result of "consumerism, individualism and acquisitiveness". I rather think it does: why should these factors cause a decrease in religious observations in Europe, but not America? The reported growth of Christianity in China is of little help to his argument, either, given that it coincides there with a rise in consumerism, individualism and acquisitiveness.

How, then, to explain the continuing drop in religious enthusiasm in western Europe - and in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which also have falling numbers of believers and rising numbers who admit to no religion? One obvious factor is quality of life. In general, the populations of these countries enjoy the highest levels of education, the best and most easily available health care services, the most peaceful societies; they are, despite their shortcomings, quite simply the best places to live on the entire planet.

Religion flourishes in stony soil. It can provide comfort in the face of poverty, sickness and oppressive government. I therefore take our lack of religious devotion as a positive sign. Should this downward trend ever begin to reverse itself, it could indicate that something is going badly wrong in our society.

Despite my disagreement with Mr Quail over this point, I would like to applaud his opposition to nuclear weapons, where he has shown more commitment, and more courage, than I have ever been able to muster. I do not doubt that his faith gives him this strength. Long may it continue to do so!

So it transpires (Dr Alexander S Waugh, 19 July) that Calvin was an incipient postmodernist Darwinist universalist. What foresight the man must have had!

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