As if in answer to a prayer, the
Church Times
arrived today safe and sound, despite the British postal strike.
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/index.asp?id=45444
If you access last Friday's edition, you will see how generous, and yes, Christian, they have been about the strike. Being a contributor to that paper myself (which I don't always agree with, as I'm sure you will understand), I would like to take this opportunity to say publicly that the paper is unstintingly generous and even noble in quite a number of ways - putting up with me is one, but in lots of other ways as well. My one hope and prayer is that one day they will realise that Israel is not quite as awful as some of their regular contributors seem to think. The last part of my blog should make that clear if nothing else does.
Anyway, thanks to the Church Times, in one fell swoop my last two blogs seem to have received an answer of sorts, from no less than
Pat Ashworth
one of their best journalists.
For in a page 3 article entitled
Bishops nag Mr Brown for a Palestinian answer
http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=45679
she has exposed one part of the Church at least in its true colours, as well as helping me to understand why Gordon Brown has not answered my own e-mail to him.
For it appears that Gordon Brown is at least even-handed in his unresponsivenes. In his April 25th address to the Board of Deputies of British Jews, mentioned in my previous blog, he apparently
committed himself to fight anti-Semitism, and pledg[ed] to remain a life-long friend of Israel
Wow, heavy stuff! I do hope it wasn't the effect of the wine!
But, it appears that at least three Bishops of the Church of England are not happy with this - no, not one little bit. For this is what the noble Bishops of Exeter, Coventry and Winchester have said to our Gordon, and 'are still waiting for a reply' apparently. Referring to Israel as a country which practises
oppression, apartheid, and persecution
they don't seem to realise how contradictory their following extraordinarily arrogant statement actually is:
A true friend is one who can point out errors and wrongs without fear of upset or worry that a friendship will come to an end
This really does say it all! Can you imagine the Church of England suggesting that any religion other than Judaism should be treated in this disgracefully condescending way?
What have they had to say about this, for instance/
http://www.melaniephillips.com/diary/?p=1660
I deliberately mention the religion, because this type of behaviour is typical of much of Christian anti-Jewish theology now turned into politically correct (anti-Judaism always was politically correct, of course) anti-israelism instead.
For, according to this Holy Trinity of Bishops at least, Israel manages to be both a life-long friend of the UK, or at least of its current PM, whilst at the same time indulging in practically Nazi-like behaviour. Doesn't say much for poor old Gordon, does it? Or maybe, just maybe the Bishops have got it wrong? Perish the thought!
A 'nag' of Bishops indeed. Petulance personified! Instant gratification, or else! They just cannot put up with Jews actually defending themselves from certain death and having the wherewithal to do it for the first time in practically 2000 years. All their theological training strains against this truth. For one looks in vain for any mention of the word HAMAS in their letter.
Meanwhile, Ruth Gledhill has posted on the ABC's curious visit to Syria last week, including the not very polite assessment of Rowan Williams by left-wing journalist, Nick Cohen. This is
Ruth Gledhill's
take on the whole peculiar saga:
http://timescolumns.typepad.com/gledhill/2007/10/archbishop-take.html
I mean, how on earth can Rowan Williams justify his positive appraisal of Assad, whose intentions regarding Israel are as plain as a pike-staff? Come to think of it, he didn't mention the persecutions going on in Zimbabwe, Darfur or China when he visited those regions, either!
Appeasement or what?
But let's end on a high and prove those Bishops wrong: nothing could be more joyful than teaching some of the best of British music to Christian, Muslim and Jewish teenagers in Jaffa, and especially the Beatles'
Let It Be
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Be_(song)
If you had told me even a year ago that the Beatles could be part of the peace process, I would have said never in your wildest dreams!
For why the Beatles are so popular with teenagers in present-day Jaffa is a complete mystery to me.
But this is why hope and joy have to be espoused, because when the very worst is upon us and our friends let us down, it is these little things that somehow break the pattern and prove that there really is a transcendent being out there who watches over and cares for us.
Because, yes, I do still feel that Rowan is our friend. He wants to be our friend. He has the great intelligence to be our friend. But when he is surrounded by Bishops such as these, what on earth can he do?
Which is what the song says, in its very own special way, whatever the nags think.
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