“On Yom Kippur we stand before God, hand on heart, and say, ‘It’s not your fault. We are the problem.’” (Rabbi Shaul Rosenblatt) I remember how nervous I was, standing before a judge for a traffic violation. Nervous? Think of yourself standing before God on Judgment Day! In a sense my Jewish friends do that each year on Yom Kippur. I wonder if they’re nervous. I like the biblical concept of grace, where God offers forgiveness to those who repent. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: Ethics means making hard choices....not simple ones. I will go with Bonhoeffer on this one.===JACK: I'm glad to see that you're finally buying into Situation Ethics!
===JOHN: I never have and never will. To understand that our reason is sometimes unable to grasp the mind of God is unequal to recognizing that there is no ethic at all. Any relativism in ethics cannot be called Situational Ethics. It is the denial of ethics...as Socrates insisted.===JACK: I knew that if I gave you an example of Situation Ethics, you'd find some reason to deny it. Maybe it's the term, SE, that bothers you. What's a better name for finding yourself in situations where "you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't?"===JOHN: The term bothers me because it implies that there is no real Ethic....if the situation is determinative, we are left without an Ethic...and, in essence, without a God. If this is acceptable to you, embrace it. I can not ===JACK: I agree that there is a basic ethic, a basic law. Forget the word, situation... There can be a circumstance (the Hitler assassination attempt) when the Law (Thou shalt not kill) can be set aside. And if that be a sin, so be it. "God be merciful to me, a sinner."
FROM SF: I find it very peaceful to be forgiven! No strings, no
arguments, no guilt!! 😊===JACK: That's what "grace" is a;; about...to receive God's forgiveness, not because it's deserved, but because of God's love for us. From an outsider's viewpoint, that seems to be the promise of Yom Kippur. ===SF: Yes!===JACK: I’ll always remember the time in college…I slipped a “late” assignment under the professor’s office door with a note on the front…”I forgot!” It was handed back the next day with a grade of D with a note from the professor…”I remembered.” At the end of the paper another note from the professor, “I forgave,” and a revised grade of B. I may have forgotten everything else in that class, but I never forgot the lesson of the meaning of grace.
FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: if my memory serves, Rabbi Kushner in his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, also asks if we can forgive God for creating an imperfect world? i don't like the question, but he does ask it. lots of food for thought===JACK: The Bible has many stories of people complaining to God about his action or inaction. God can take it...and understand as parents often do with their children.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Rabbi Rosenblatt and his people would be right at home in the book of James, then! He insists our problems and conflicts stem from too much Ego, too much self obsession which breeds discontent, envy, slander of others & conflict, both in relationships and with God!
Reminds me of a passage in Jess Lair's book, "I ain't much, baby, but I'm all I've got", years ago (early 70's!) who after a massive heart attack due to stress and conflict in his life, examined his life and relationships, and concluded he was his own worst enemy. But he said since HE was the cause of his problems, sad as this was, it was also a happy thing, because now he could get to work on it to fix it!" :-) Would that we all had such insights into how we REALLY are...! It was a good read! ===JACK: WOW! You could be a preacher. OOPS! I guess you already are one. I do remember Lair and his quote. It's a good one. Self obsession can be a real problem. You probably know the expression, "He's full of himself." (opinionated, overbearing, poor listener, it's always about self} Of course, that ain't me or you!
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I liked your honesty in writing about your arrest when you were younger. I had several close calls with the law, though never arrested.===JACK: I should add that it wasn't only once that I was arrested...but only once did I appear before a judge. Standing before God's Judgment Throne will be a totally different experience. However I'll have a good defense attorney...Jesus.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I like the idea of Yom Kippur. I like the idea of a special day but I know my Savior died for my sins. However I do sin none the less.===JACK: Every day can be a Yom Kippur for you...and me.
:FROM TRIHARDER: We confess our sins; acknowledge we aren't perfect. But what I liked out of today's Torah reading was that performing rituals are meaningless unless you perform good deeds -- much of which were helping, feeding, housing the poor. I'm sure you could ably perform a sermon on this issue.===JACK: Jews and Christians aren't that far apart...at least from the Jews who are friends of mine....and I just saw this NYT quote by Gerard Papa who runs a youth basketball program in Brooklyn: "We’re a cross section of New York. We got yeshiva kids, madrasa kids. We have Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, all playing on the same court."===TH: The name of our religion is just the brand of phone we use to talk to Gd. Imagine that. No bombs, pogroms, suicide killings,===JACK: That has the makings of a song...
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one
===TH: I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do try to learn from moral teachings on those occasions that I attend services. Today's Torah reading instructed that performing rituals are meaningless unless you perform good deeds -- many of which are helping the oppressed, feeding, housing the poor, the less fortunate. Amen.===JACK: Just what do you see as a “particularly religious person?” Is “self” the best judge of that? Or, is it left to others? And, ultimately to G-d? ===TH: One who prays regularly to his/her higher power, observes religious customs, rituals, attends services regularly, has a high awareness of the dogma and has a deep belief in it.===JACK: Would you be embarrassed, offended or surprised to be called, "religious?"===TH: Surprised. Not offended.
FROM HY YO SILVER: Nervous? Yes. That’s one of many feelings.===JACK: AWE-some!
FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: if my memory serves, Rabbi Kushner in his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, also asks if we can forgive God for creating an imperfect world? i don't like the question, but he does ask it. lots of food for thought===JACK: The Bible has many stories of people complaining to God about his action or inaction. God can take it...and understand as parents often do with their children.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Rabbi Rosenblatt and his people would be right at home in the book of James, then! He insists our problems and conflicts stem from too much Ego, too much self obsession which breeds discontent, envy, slander of others & conflict, both in relationships and with God!
Reminds me of a passage in Jess Lair's book, "I ain't much, baby, but I'm all I've got", years ago (early 70's!) who after a massive heart attack due to stress and conflict in his life, examined his life and relationships, and concluded he was his own worst enemy. But he said since HE was the cause of his problems, sad as this was, it was also a happy thing, because now he could get to work on it to fix it!" :-) Would that we all had such insights into how we REALLY are...! It was a good read! ===JACK: WOW! You could be a preacher. OOPS! I guess you already are one. I do remember Lair and his quote. It's a good one. Self obsession can be a real problem. You probably know the expression, "He's full of himself." (opinionated, overbearing, poor listener, it's always about self} Of course, that ain't me or you!
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I liked your honesty in writing about your arrest when you were younger. I had several close calls with the law, though never arrested.===JACK: I should add that it wasn't only once that I was arrested...but only once did I appear before a judge. Standing before God's Judgment Throne will be a totally different experience. However I'll have a good defense attorney...Jesus.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I like the idea of Yom Kippur. I like the idea of a special day but I know my Savior died for my sins. However I do sin none the less.===JACK: Every day can be a Yom Kippur for you...and me.
:FROM TRIHARDER: We confess our sins; acknowledge we aren't perfect. But what I liked out of today's Torah reading was that performing rituals are meaningless unless you perform good deeds -- much of which were helping, feeding, housing the poor. I'm sure you could ably perform a sermon on this issue.===JACK: Jews and Christians aren't that far apart...at least from the Jews who are friends of mine....and I just saw this NYT quote by Gerard Papa who runs a youth basketball program in Brooklyn: "We’re a cross section of New York. We got yeshiva kids, madrasa kids. We have Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, all playing on the same court."===TH: The name of our religion is just the brand of phone we use to talk to Gd. Imagine that. No bombs, pogroms, suicide killings,===JACK: That has the makings of a song...
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you
You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us And the world will be as one
===TH: I'm not a particularly religious person, but I do try to learn from moral teachings on those occasions that I attend services. Today's Torah reading instructed that performing rituals are meaningless unless you perform good deeds -- many of which are helping the oppressed, feeding, housing the poor, the less fortunate. Amen.===JACK: Just what do you see as a “particularly religious person?” Is “self” the best judge of that? Or, is it left to others? And, ultimately to G-d? ===TH: One who prays regularly to his/her higher power, observes religious customs, rituals, attends services regularly, has a high awareness of the dogma and has a deep belief in it.===JACK: Would you be embarrassed, offended or surprised to be called, "religious?"===TH: Surprised. Not offended.
FROM HY YO SILVER: Nervous? Yes. That’s one of many feelings.===JACK: AWE-some!
No comments:
Post a Comment