MADAM, The recent debate in your letters' pages has prompted me to write this letter. Whilst not particularly wishing to comment again regarding same-sex marriges, I would like to correct Mick Conroy on a point he made.

He talks about Gal. 3-28, the verse which says there is neither Jew nor Greek, male or female etc. You are all one in Christ Jesus. I smile when someone who is apparently not a Christian quotes from the Bible, out of context and incorrectly. It's an old trick really and cannot go unchallenged.

The verse is part of a much longer section Paul was writing to the Church in the Roman Province of Galatea. Paul founded many churches and was an overseer. He was angry that they (the Galatians) seemed to be going back into the old order of religion and not embracing the freedom of being an heir of Jesus Christ. In a new translation called the 'Message' Bible, the passage reads "in Christ's family there can be no division into Jew/non Jew/slave/free male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.' In other words, irrespective of who we are, we belong to Christ. So please, Mr Conroy, don't try and make us believe there is no difference between male and female.

I have been married to the same man for over 60 years so you can guess whose side I'm on!

Mrs June Partridge, Upper Pengethley