elb@hou5e.UUCP (Ellen Bart) (01/19/84)
I've had it. There was a local problem with my readnews and, and i just spent the better part of 2 hours reading the last 100 or so net.religion articles. i was trying not to get too bothered, trying to read each new article with fresh interest, etc. but the last article by E.A. Flinn was the last straw. E. A. Flinn said (and I paraphrase) I don't believe in any organized religion, but I respect anyone else's right to do so. I hope these other people respect my beliefs. I think the deity described in the bible is appaling. [semi flame to the person who got disgusted with "bible" written with a small 'b' --- i have more respect for the bible than a lot of people on this net, but i dont always have the same respect for english capitalization standards or the effort it takes to observe them] Back to [mr. mrs. ms. master] Flinn: One assumption that has been running through all this discussion on Pharoh, Midianites, Deity(s) seems to be that the Bible is the sole description (or even best description) of the Deity that christians jews and moslems worship. In a lot of ways this is so, but at least in the case of judaism (which is the only religion i can competently discuss) the religion and its beliefs are MUCH MUCH MUCH MEGA more complex than can be culled from even a serious reading of the text of the bible (especially bcause i seriously doubt that many of the recent contributors to the net have ever read the bible in the original) [flame to the discussion on bible versions --- NOTHING beats the original and i think it was only mentioned by 2 people] i can't even hope to explain via this media the kinds of complexity that the jewish religion involves in terms of how literally everything written in the bible is to be taken, the role that law plays in conjunction with belief, the way law comes from what is written in the bible i can perhaps give an example (which works for some people -- if not for you -- okay -- send me mail and we can discuss it) when you sit in a classroom learning anything from physics to art history there are different ways to take notes. you can copy down everything the instructor says or you can put down key phrases that remind you of the whole discussion or trigger some of the key points. A person reading the second kind of notes cannot appreciate (without consulting the author) what was happening in class. If the bible is analogous in some way to this second kind of notes, than it is not surprising that religionists feel they understand the 'lecture' while readers of the text alone will only understand the 'notes' for E. Flinn g-d is appalling - i'm not going to try to convince him/her that that belief should be changed. But for Tim Maroney and others who are trying to convince net.land that the jewish g-d is horrible etc.... (i said i would only address the jewish viewpoint) and how can the jews consider worshiping such a g-d ... I say to you: read the bible in the original, read Rashi, Ramban, Ebn Ezra, read the aramaic translations of the bible, read the talmud, the mishna, go through the Rishonim and Achronim and THEN come talk to me about good and evil reward and punishment and g-d's morality Ellen Bart 201-834-3728 ATT IS Homdel hou5e!elb