W6er

Fair enough. No, I haven't researched Balfour thoroughly and you appear to have done so. When I have time that is something I might well look into. I'm aware of the Arab revolt, though honestly my knowledge doesn't go much beyond the romanticised 'Lawrence of Arabia' narrative. However, if you're hinting that the Arabs were promised the territory that is now Israel, then surely that makes the Balfour Declaration even more intriguing? I thought Jordan was their reward. I thought the Balfour Declaration asks that Lord Rothschild conveys the news to the British Zionist Federation (or a similarly named group)?

How 💩 is that!

I seriously doubt Balfour was an anti-Semite and it wasn't that the Jews were unwilling to go to Israel, either. I believe Balfour Day is a national day of celebration in Israel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balfour_Day The above source indicates it was a day of celebration. I would strongly recommend you read the Balfour Declaration and consider to whom it was addressed and why, in 1917, when the UK was fighting the Great War, it was decided to gift a homeland to the Jewish people.

All I really know about Melanie Phillips is that she wrote a book called Londonistan some years ago and is an avowed Zionist. I get the impression she thinks one of the biggest threats to her ethnic group in the West is Islam. I have had an ongoing WhatsApp with an old friend of mine in which I have been called naive and simple-minded because I am not accepting at face value that Hamas beheaded forty babies! The first thing that came to mind was the accusations made against the Germans in WWI, who were accused of bayoneting babies. I also remembered that Iraqi soldiers had been falsely accused of killing babies in incubators in Kuwait: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1994/02/26/the-kuwaiti-incubator-hoax/35b1e882-f796-4acb-a106-9280a7dda521/ It's always the babies! But apparently I'm a simple-minded fool for not wanting to level Gaza. I know there's a lot of hatred on both sides, but I refuse to believe that Hamas would be both that hateful and that stupid. Meanwhile, actual dead babies have been pulled from the rubble in Gaza...

Other than a coalition government, in which Clegg made lots of concessions to the Tories, when was the last time the UK was governed by a party other than Labour or the Tories? I would argue that the difference between the two parties has narrowed hugely over the last few decades as well. The Lib Dems are hardly very different to the other two, in any event.

Don't both sides do that? Both sides also have a 'Friends of Israel' lobby group: https://www.lfi.org.uk/ (Labour) https://cfoi.co.uk/ (Conservative) I think every British prime minister has proclaimed their support for Israel. It's not just here, though. This was some time ago, but Netanyahu received several standing ovations from Congressmen on both sides: Could they be any more ingratiating?

I'm sure I read yesterday that the Scottish Government' s facing criticism for not flying the Israeli flag! 😮 ETA:

I wasn't referring to anybody specifically, just that political debate seems to have deteriorated and usually results in name calling. Maybe it's the result of social media and people who previously would have never even considered interacting can now abuse one another from the safety of their homes. Just searched 'libtard' on Twitter to illustrate my point: Those who consider themselves 'leftists' are just as abusive, btw.

I found this old article on the proposed name change of the railway station, and it mentions this website and quotes Div: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/railway-station-named-after-st-2630804

It would have been better if England hadn't been involved. Does this mean that all FIVE home nations automatically qualify?

I've thought that for years. I was told it'd cost £150k.

Indeed! Unfortunately we're all guilty of this - our phones and clothes are mostly produced in Third World sweatshops. I vowed to buy secondhand clothes in a bid to appease my conscience, but browsing umpteen shops in the West End I found nothing I'd want to wear and that would fit me. Absolutely. Nowadays people tend to pick a 'side' and then ultimately resort to calling one another 'libtards' or 'fascists', or whatever. I have been accused of both at one time or another. That's another reason why I cannot be bothered 'debating', most people are never going to change their opinion anyway, so it just becomes a matter of pride and not wanting to 'lose' an argument.

It stems from the Parekh Report which suggested 'rethinking the national story: Source: https://www.hrmguide.co.uk/diversity/parekh_report.htm If you are to create an inclusive, multicultural nation then the argument is we would need to have a shared history and identity. Given that prior to WWII the UK was almost 100% white with a few thousand non-white people in some of the major cities, then that perhaps requires a bit of 'creativity'.

I didn't lose it, but after they scored their penalty I felt my phone buzz and was greeted with a WhatsApp message from a Rangers supporting friend, who had claimed they were going to lose pre-match, and it was a simple smiley: 😁 I rarely get angry, but I felt a bit of rage at that point. I think it's the hope that kills you, expect nothing and you'll never be disappointed.

Evangelising means proselytising - converting folk to the Christian faith. Most faiths are 'evangelical' in that respect - the only two that I can think of which aren't are Zoroastrianism and Judaism, and I may be mistaken about the former. Jesus fulfilled the law. Indeed, you are correct with respect to the councils, however the Catholic (i.e. universal) Church existed up until the Great Schism, in ~1050. I suppose there were other wee offshoots such as the Cathars, but by and large the faith was united. Getting back on topic, assuming this is genuine (which I cannot verify) it is a chilling example of how the Palestinians have been treated by the IDF: This is an interesting observation: Palestinians being described as 'human animals' apparently:

Your claim that evangelicals are more outspoken appears speculative. Not that I necessarily disagree with you, though. Christians are over-represented. My maths is rubbish, so please correct me if I'm wrong (not that I feel I need to invite you to do so ) but Jewish people are over-represented by > 300%, according to that, whilst Christian Congressmen are over-represented by 135%, is that correct? It would be interesting to see those figures for the cabinet. Something being contradictory and open to different interpretation is not the same thing. The often cited 'eye for an eye, tooth for tooth' actually established the limits on retribution. It is also from the Old Testament. As a Christian the New Testament supersedes the Old, regardless. It is a new covenant. Christianity was unified for approx 800 years. Then came the schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Church. Afterwards, protestants decided anybody can interpret the Bible however they liked, the floodgates opened.

So the president of the US and many others in top positions are not Evangelicals, then? How many of them actually are? I would say that America's foreign policy has largely been influenced by the Wolfowitz Doctrine and Paul Wolfowitz is not an Evangelical, either. If you assert something it's good practice to evidence it. The meaning of the names from the genealogy in Genesis is very interesting: https://www.khouse.org/articles/2000/284/ The human Jesus' father is God, the creator of the universe - that's an impressive enough lineage, IMHO. However, legally I would imagine he'd inherit his earthly father's lineage, particularly as it was not known that Joseph wasn't his biological father.

Evangelicals? 🤔 https://www.timesofisrael.com/all-the-jews-biden-has-tapped-for-top-roles-in-his-new-administration/ Indeed they would have had access to the Old Testament. What is truly remarkable is the meaning of the genealogy in Genesis.

I disagree. Christianity has a consistent theme. The the creator of the universe was born a man (paradoxically, both fully man and fully God) in a stable, that he led a humble life and died the painful death of a slave (see Tom Holland's Dominion). He washed his disciples' feet, remember. He wasn't even a good looking man: Isaiah 53: 2-5 Jesus did not pursue money, he was not concerned with wealth. As far as I'm aware, only the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) is used as justification for the Prosperity Gospel. It seems pretty obvious, to me at least, that's about putting one's God given talents to use (the Master is God) and not being idle, which is NOT the same as making money. If you can be bothered @Slarti, read the Book of James, it will take you about 10 mins and is full of wisdom (5 chapters, each a 2 minute read). Indeed. Has anybody ever actually read the Balfour Declaration? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/israel_and_the_palestinians/key_documents/1682961.stm It was written to an international banker in 1917, when the UK was fighting the Great War. It has been argued that it was likely payment either for bringing the US into the war or for financing it.

Pssst! Some folk have spent a few post-match hours in the pub, I suspect. I think we've all been there. 🤪 I never played much 11 a-side footy, but I remember doing exactly what Strain did today following a corner. I just stuck out my hand to stop a certain goal. It would've been a half-decent save if I was the keeper. It was totally instinctive, just a reaction. Strain's a pro of course, and should be held to a higher standard, but it's not something he had time to think about. It was ALWAYS likely to be a difficult game, despite what people have been saying. Though I will be very tempted to go to Ibrox in December to see if we can get something there.

Partly true. It's more the influence of AIPAC, IMHO, which is arguably the second biggest lobby group in the US. The whole Christian Zionist phenomenon is much bigger in the US and something I have never understood. My girlfriend and her mother told me they believe the Jews are God's "chosen people" and therefore it's the duty of Christians to support Israel. Indeed, the Bible does state that, but it's the Old Testament. They seem to have skipped over the bit where...well, let's just say that led to Jesus' crucifixion. Traditional Christianity was hardly pro-Zionist. Indeed, Pre-Vatican II Catholicism has been described as anti-Semitic, this is borne out by the likes of Fathers Coughlin, Feeney and Fahey , whose speeches and writings are considered deeply anti-Semitic. Indeed much of Vatican II was devoted to addressing this. Even so, I don't believe the Catholic Church even recognised Israel until the 1990s. Christian Zionism seems to be a relatively modern concept, though that's perhaps not surprising given Israel as a state was founded in 1947(?). I categorise it along with the Prosperity Gospel - where people who give money to God (via their 'church') are blessed with wealth. I'm going off on a tangent here, but I was staying in a hotel in London a few years back and this guy came out of the neighbouring conference suite, covered in gold and other ostentatious displays of wealth (Roles, designer clothes, etc). He was followed out by a lot of fawning admirers before eventually getting in a Lamborghini and driving off. I assumed he was a musician of perhaps a sportsmen or something and asked one of his groupies about him. I was informed he was their pastor. The Bible has been distorted to such an extent by some unscrupulous people, that its message has been turned on its head.

I said the same.

I cannae sleep. 😕 COYS!