Dear David,

It seems that democracy can thrive only when most
of several basic conditions have been met, from
advanced economic development,
restraints on government power, tolerance of dissent.
access to information, diffusion of power, freedom
of religion, freedom of speech and the press, freedom
to vote, guaranteed civil rights and liberties, and so on.

There are few Western-style democracies where religion is
more entangled than with Israel. But to fully understand
the complexities of the country I think one would have to
be more knowledgeable than I am.

That's why I tend to rely on credible sources and links which
I cite to give me a bigger picture.

Before we can criticize any country - we need to view things
through their lens. Is America such a perfect democracy?
Does religion not play any part? How many times have we heard
a US President refer to God in speeches? The same goes
for Australia, and the UK. (God save the Queen). Our
Parliamentarians taking their oath of office on the Bible?

It's more than a decade since there were any changes to Israeli marriage law. So why the sudden interest? Just a liverish lefty desperate to get some dirty water off his chest, I suspsect.

This group the "Joint List" according to the link provided appears to be a carefully cultivated communist group designed to change Israel to a more Locke Liberal nation. The communists appear to be nominally leftist Hasdash and Balad being Far-Left 5 MK's and Left 3 MK's (I'd call them both far-left one perhaps being Trotskist and the left-wing nationalists- being perhaps more Stalinist) giving 8 out of 13 Joint List members as members of the definitive left. This implies the possibility that the communists may control this group perhaps under the influence of a foreign power. However they were voted in by the electorate.

Remember both China and Russia are were both secular communist nations.

Dear Yuyutsu,

I am sorry. I have let my abhorrence of your worldview translate to abhorrence of you as a person.

Yuyutsu,

Did you know that Sharia means 'the path to water'?

We came from water, we are about 60% water, and we cannot live without the stuff.

And the Arabs think so much of the stuff they constructed a system of social control with reference to it: If you stray from the path you will not be blessed by the giver of water.

Dear Mr. Opinion,

No, I was not aware of the meaning of "Shariah", so thank you very much for this teaching.

I am convinced that long ago, in the root of it, whoever coined the word was well-meaning with sincere spiritual intentions.

Alas, we cannot deny that the water of Islam was muddied since, which eventually happens to all good teachings under the great wheel of time. But I trust in the promise of Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 4, verses 7-8:

"Whenever there is a decline in righteousness and an increase in unrighteousness, O Arjuna, at that time I manifest myself on earth.
To protect the righteous, to annihilate the wicked, and to reestablish the principles of Dharma (supportive conduct), I appear on this earth, age after age."

Knowing your great concern about China, I have faith that this applies there too, that even if we cannot stop the Chinese atrocities ourselves, eventually the Lord Himself will be reborn on earth to save us and them. This doesn't mean that we should ignore the problem and make no efforts: we should make the effort and do our part as best we can, then God will do the rest.