Christians and Jews

 

Yesterday I was one of about 30 people attending a lecture and discussion held by the local (Avon) branch of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ). The title was “The Elephant in the Room”. It was led by David Arnold, MBE, Joint Hon Secretary of the CCJ, a member of the Orthodox  Jewish tradition.

He first spoke for quite a while on recent major changes to the governance and objectives of the CCJ:  establishing a better balance between Christians and Jews (it had been predominantly Anglican!), becoming more outward-looking, appointing more younger officers. He then gave another talk on the causes of widespread anti-semitism, especially the work of a brilliant French secular Jew Jules Isaac. David Arnold then spoke about “Nostra Aetate” – (Latin: In our Time; this is the Declaration by the Second Vatican Council on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions.) Its effects had been very beneficial.

Finally David Arnold spoke on the subject most of us were anxious to consider: the relationship between on the one hand Israel and Jewry and on the other Palestinians and Israeli Arabs. He called repeatedly for mutual understanding, dialogue and other positive measures. He asserted that participation in the debate and activity in support of one side or the other was unhelpful – the solution could be found only by those in the locality.

Despite some misgivings , I was very pleased indeed that the local CCJ branch had hosted this event, and I thank David Arnold coming a long way and for being prepared to face what he must have anticipated would be a difficult audience. The event has served to break an apparent taboo. Two of my sisters married Jews so I have many Jewish nieces and nephews. In the family the subject of Palestine is taboo. When I started attending meetings of the CCJ I was worried lest my pro-Palestinian allegiances would be a problem. They were not because the subject was never mentioned; it seemed to be taboo. Now I believe we will be able to discuss it. In the social period after the meeting I was able to raise an issue of terminology (the difference if any between anti-Zionism and anti-semitism) frankly with Jewish people. That’s a start!

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Religion or mere spirituality?

This is a letter I wrote to the editor of The Friend a year ago. I think it was not published.

Geoff Pilliner described graphically (’Phlogiston and stuff’, 21 August) the development of educated people’s understanding of our spiritual and physical environment over centuries past. But he assumed there had been no change in the understanding of ‘God’. Quakers have never embraced the Ancient Greeks’ notion, nor that of an autocratic, jealous old man obsessed with sin. It is to set up an Aunt Sally to invoke that metaphor as a justification for rejecting God. Our Elders and Quaker Life should act to dispel that ignorant mis-understanding. Until such time as Yearly Meeting discerns we need to amend our religious ’Purpose’ Quaker Life should stop promoting a vague ‘Spirituality’ and nurture our God-centred and Spirit-led Quaker religion.