SIR – Re A Michael Murphy’s letter about the massacre of at least 58 Iraqi Christians in Iraq (Letters, December 16). I wrote to more than 50 prominent local church people, as well as those members of other faith communities with whom I had marched against the Israeli attacks on Gaza and the massacre of aid workers on the high seas, but apart from a few pious messages of support, the only practical response I received came from my Muslim brothers and sisters.

Since my hope was to bring Christians out on to the streets in defence of our faith, I did not persist with my plans. Perhaps I was wrong in this, but I did at least lead the congregation of my own church in prayers for the embattled Iraqi Christians.

Perhaps the churches can redeem themselves at the Judgement Seat before which we all must stand, eventually, by taking action against the cuts, which are the most massive attack on the principles of Christian charity since Herod massacred an entire generation of the Hebrew first-born.

Karl Dallas, Church Green, Bradford