Christianity and the Old Testament

Kathleen Hughes writes: Re. “Tim Blair journeys to western Sydney, finds Muslims, freaks out” (yesterday). Whilst quite liking the amusing article yesterday on the  Western Sydney safari, I feel I should point out that although the Bible may well be ‘”the foundation text of Western civilisation”, the Book of Deuteronomy is part of what Jewish people call “the Torah” and what Christians call “the Old Testament”. The “New Testament” is the one with Jesus Christ in it (you know, like where Christians get their name from) so the point Sparrow is making  about the Deuteronomy quotation is rather obscured as Christians, by definition, are not bound by those ancient rules.

Team Robbo for the win

Dan Murphy writes: Re. “John Robertson: don’t give up on NSW Labor — or me” (yesterday).  >Fair play to you for allowing John Robertson right of reply to Monday’s editorial. As he outlined, his record on ALP reform is actually quite solid. Rather than “heavily tainted” by the Carr-Iemma years, Robertson is a relative cleanskin, only emerging in that government’s last phase. He showed his mettle leading the successful cross-factional opposition to electricity privatisation at the 2008 NSW state conference, standing up to vested interests in league with serving and former members of the NSW right. A Labor leader with real experience “on the tools” and rare public speaking skills honed as an ETU organiser, he understands the working class voters Labor needs to win back in western Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and Wollongong.  The stench surrounding the NSW Liberals and their foolish decision to go to the election on a pro-privatisation platform, mean Robbo’s day may be coming sooner than even his most ardent fans thought possible. Yes, these are good days to be on “Team Robbo.”

Look to the Jesuits for an explanation for Abbott

Denis Lenihan writes: Re. “Rundle: Tony Abbott, Australia’s most powerful sycophant” (Monday). I don’t know Abbott and I never met Santamaria, but I have met a number of Jesuits, the order which educated the young Abbott. Rundle might find that the Jesuits provide a better explanation for Abbott’s curious behaviour.