""Do you, honestly now Don, not feel this at least a tenable position on my part?""

No sir! I do not.

Returning to my ""somewhat feeble IMO argument"", you may have overlooked the strongest part of it.

I said that the whole passage could equally easily have included an injunction to carry out these actions or an injunction against.

Deviously extracting one sentence could equally be used by a radical to advocate attacks on Christians, or by a racist to denigrate the whole Islamic community.

I do not think this is a weak argument, as we have seen this sentence used for both purposes in the last couple of days.

You have, in fact, made my point very well indeed in your reference to the misinterpretation of the Thatcher quote, though I know such was not your intention. I have been rebutting that interpretation for years, without success.

Once a bigot has made up his mind based on an out of context remark, he simply doesn't choose to hear any rebuttal.

Don T.