What a transformation there has been in Western materialism and consumerism in the past 100 years.

Bible fundamentalists in mid West America may disown the notion of evolution, but I suspect the author of Social Darwinism, Herbert Spencer, who coined the phrase, ‘the survival of the fittest’ would be pleased to see his theory of progressive social evolution apparently confirmed.

The sort of gadgets such as laptops, pcs, tablets and mobiles ‘must have’ consumers now have at their disposal would be viewed with an uncomprehending reverential awe by our Victoria forebears.

But is it to progress or merely transference? Or indeed cyclical recurrence?

Looking at a statue of John Knox I was struck by his almost interchangeable appearance to certain contemporary middle eastern ayatollahs who also rail against the ‘monstrous regiment of women’.

Islam is 600 years Christianity’s junior.

500 years ago Catholics and Protestants were beheading and burning one another; thankfully in recent times this has become sublimated into Rangers and Celtic clashes.

500 years after its foundation in certain quarters of the Middle East we have Sunnites and Shi-ites re-enacting the atrocities of medieval Christians, which would seem to repudiate Spencer’s theory of social progress.

Perhaps Hinduism, the oldest of the 3 religions, got it right when portraying a thermo-nuclear war between Mu (Lemuria) and Atlantis in the ‘Mahabharata’ and Oswald Spengler correct when he said that every civilisation blossoms then decays like a living organism, if not materially then in morale.

JAMES MARTIN, Foulford Road, Cowdenbeath.