From Nury Vittachi
It is no surprise that several people have sniped at David Robson’s gripping piece on how religious gatherings likely played a key role in the founding of human society (5 October, p 32). But there’s no need to bridle at the suggestion.
For virtually the entire history of society, the default state of advanced thinkers was theistic. The astronomer and the heaven-watcher have almost always been the same person: the individual interested in big questions.
Let us not forget that at least three of the coveted seats at a certain celebrated event in a little town called Bethlehem went to “wise men from the east”, people the original text arguably identified as astronomers. Merry Christmas!
Hong Kong, China
