Martha is absolutely right - BH's preceding post is grotesquely
offensive.
And no, he understands nothing about what is and isn't kosher, not
that his Reform friends are mistaken because they have no knowledge
of the rabbinical literature (which their rabbis water down to
suit). In two words, kosher is about pure and impure, which is very
different from clean and unclean, as Mary Douglas appreciated (but
don't take her word for it - it's all in Rashi's commentaries on the
Torah which I learned as a youngster, before me and religion parted
ways).
And William, you need make no apology. Your description of BH's
style of argument reminds me of Proust's comment that everyone calls
clear those ideas which have the same degree of confusion as their
own.
Loved Robert's haiku.
Merry Xmas to those who celebrate it,
Michael
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