tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13169838.post113818936156468233..comments2023-07-31T15:17:30.792+01:00Comments on Christian Hate?: One hundred not outCyrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00512481025183200804noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13169838.post-1138617233308988872006-01-30T10:33:00.000+00:002006-01-30T10:33:00.000+00:00Thanks for your kind words, guys.Paul, you have th...Thanks for your kind words, guys.<BR/><BR/>Paul, you have the distinctly erratic nature of my day job at present to thank for the fact that I manage to write as much as I do. Chucking it altogether... don't tempt me - do you know anyone who'd pay me to blog, by any chance??<BR/><BR/>Jonty, you're spot-on about the political space I see myself as occupying, although on one or two issues I may be a little too close to Melanie P for your liking! Once upon a time I used to believe I knew what to think about Israel because the Guardian told me. Not any more. I do get very frustrated by Engage's insistence on fighting with one hand tied behind their back. On the other hand Shalom Lappin's article in the newly-published journal looks promising.Cyrushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00512481025183200804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13169838.post-1138284040408304342006-01-26T14:00:00.000+00:002006-01-26T14:00:00.000+00:00Cyrus, you’re doing a great job – so more of the s...Cyrus, you’re doing a great job – so more of the same is fine by me! What’s special about your blog is that it marries a progressive religious and political outlook (e.g. being for gay equality in church and society) with an intelligent defence of Israel against its unthinking - and occasionally malevolent - detractors (who are mostly on the secular liberal-left). This is a rare combination that is close to my own position as a gay member of a Liberal synagogue who feels much progressive opinion – unfortunately including a significant proportion of progressive Judaism - has just lost the plot on Israel and Jews in the modern world. Indeed, most supporters of Israel seem predictably conservative on gay issues in particular (e.g. Melanie Philips who is just so angry about civil partnerships), while most socially and religiously liberal commentators tend to adopt a default position of hostility towards Israel (e.g. most journalists at the Guardian). Even Engage veers towards the latter in endlessly repeating some of the old left tropes about Israel (e.g. Israeli Arabs are banned from the IDF; the state of Israel itself discriminates in law against Arab citizens; centre-right/right politicians in Israel are openly racist), no matter how many times David Hirsch et al are challenged to provide detailed evidence to support such generalised accusations. So keep up the good work!<BR/><BR/>Jonty GoodsonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13169838.post-1138202945527645842006-01-25T15:29:00.000+00:002006-01-25T15:29:00.000+00:00Cyrus,I'd been meaning to drop you a line anyway: ...Cyrus,<BR/><BR/>I'd been meaning to drop you a line anyway: Wherever I read you—here or at Engage—you are consistently one of the most articulate and perceptive defenders of Israel, and I thank you. There's nothing I feel the need to have changed (though orange is not my favourite colour) except I would be glad to read more frequent posts from you. If you felt like giving up your day job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com