National Service
Does the Tory Party think by bringing in National Service and teaching young people to kill that this will prevent them taking knives and using them as weapons?
Val McFarlane
Judas
The article by Hilary Johnson in the 17 May edition of the Friend, focusing on Judas Iscariot, brought back memories of thoughts I have had in the past. First, I was very uncomfortable about the hatred placed upon Judas, as the Christianity I felt a part of was a loving religion and this type of hatred had no part in it. (I left Christian churches because of this retribution language and a place called hell, and turned to Quakers, so I was surprised when she says she has heard such language used among Quakers.)
I was very affected by the Leon Rosselson song ‘Stand Up For Judas’. Rosselson saw Judas as being very frustrated at Jesus for not being the campaigner Judas felt was needed at the time. He was angry that all that Jesus taught was peace and love, compassion and understanding. Jesus taught of a loving God who forgave. I suspect this would be the same in a lot of campaigning groups right now, around the world. The action of Judas after Jesus’ crucifixion shows that his revelation about what Jesus’ life meant was too hard to bear. What an amazing man Judas was.
As a Jew, Rosselson may have had a wider view about Judas, but I suppose that since Christians were harshly treated by Jews in those days of the early church, writings and folk memory might be quite negative.
Barbara Mark
