I FOUND Paul Kavanagh’s article on the fuelling of Scottish sectarianism in Wednesday’s National interesting and challenging (Wee Ginger Dug: How British nationalism fuels Scottish sectarianism, The National, November 15).
First of all may I say that as far as football is concerned, sectarianism has nothing to do with religion as most football fans engaged in this have never been to church in their lives except for the odd wedding or funeral!
Again many people fail to realise that “religion” and politics are the same thing. Faith is seldom talked about as it is invisible and is different from religion which is politically arranged.
For example, the old adage that religion is the cause of all wars is skewed as it is people and more often politicians, who start wars. Nazi Germany and the USSR were atheist states and they certainly engaged in warfare.
I was particularly interested in Paul’s upbringing in the Orthodox Church. In his generation, his opinions were formed partly, I would imagine by the fact that Catholics were discouraged from reading the Bible, again for reasons of politics and social control.
Yeshua (his name in his own language of Aramaic) of Nazareth certainly existed and is an historical figure. There are more than three thousand historical references to a rabbi from Nazareth causing trouble in a Roman province.These are not Biblical texts.
Transubstantiation is being overtaken now by consubstantiation much like the reformed faith. Unfortunately many people were brought up not on faith, but doctrine and dogma. Again, church politics.
On the virgin Mary, Paul was brought up as a Marian Christian and he may have a very relevant point. Yeshua had four brothers (Joses, James, Simon and Jude) and at least two sisters (Matthew 13 v 53-58 and Mark 6 v 1-3.) Scripture refers to Yeshua as Mary’s first born. There is no prerequisite in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament for a virgin birth. The New Testament teaches us that Mary and Joseph refrained from sexual relations until after their marriage, in accordance with Jewish tradition.
There are two recorded virgin births in medical history. One of these was when a young woman in Poland gave birth during WW2 as a result of severe trauma kick-starting cell division. James McMillan the Scottish composer wrote a symphony about it.
Mr McMillan also spoke about bigotry on the eve of the opening of the Scottish Parliament. Religion and politics again!
The late, great John Lennon read a book which got him into a lot of trouble when he was misquoted. This led to Beatles’ records and books being burned in the US Bible belt.The name of that book is “The Passover Plot.” It was written by Hugh Schonfield, a Jewish historian who studied the New Testament.
He studied under William Barclay, of Glasgow University, to whom the book is dedicated.The book addresses many of the questions that Paul raises.
WJ Graham
East Kilbride
I WAS heartened by your article highlighting the findings of the Police Independent Review Commissioners (PIRC) in relation to several complaints made by Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign against Police Scotland in policing perfectly lawful protests and events in Aberdeen in 2016-17 (Complaints about police from pro-Palestine activists are upheld by watchdog, The National, November 15).The complaints which were upheld indicated actions by the police which effectively prevented freedom of protest, and two of which could be construed as intimidating pro-Palestine activists. SPSC will continue to challenge attempts to silence us and prevent us from exposing and publicising Israel’s crimes. The findings of PIRC have given great encouragement and a tremendous boost to human rights activists in general and Palestine Solidarity Campaigners in particular.
Helen Skulina
SPSC Edinburgh
ALTHOUGH one prefers C4 News to the less-than-impartial BBC, one was taken aback by the unduly aggressive treatment of the former First Minister on Tuesday evening on the subject of his forthcoming show on RT.It would have been nice to hear the interviewee’s replies, had they not been immediately drowned out at every turn by a volley of shouted accusations, bordering on hysteria, implying treason and worse. This was not so much an interview as an interrogation. Was there really any need for Jon Snow to continually interrupt and talk over his guest? Who does Snow think he is – Andrew Neil?
James Stevenson
Auchterarder
LEAVING the EU is clearly not going to yield any of the benefits trumpeted by its proponents, who dealt in emotion and exaggeration. In fact Brexit looks like costing money instead of saving it. Problems emerge one by one, for which neither side has an answer because nobody has ever done this before. And all for a net saving of £12 billion to £17 billion a year, depending on whose figures you believe.Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and former mayor of New York, has described Britain’s decision to leave the EU as “the dumbest decision I have ever seen a country make” while Lord Sugar says that Michael Gove and Boris Johnson should be sued for misleading the public.
If the referendum were to be held again in light of the facts we now know the result might well be to stay, and that referendum should be held now before we wind up as an impoverished and isolated country with enemies for neighbours.
Malcolm Parkin
Kinross
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