The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.After being "blessed" with a son (Samuel), Hannah sings praises to the Lord.
~ King James version ~
Tao is like a fountain that rains down on all.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~
Tao is the wellspring of existence. Tao provides the vital essence -- Te -- which makes life possible. What we make of this life is the responsibility of each of us. How we utilize Te determines how we live.
If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.
one of the more "taoist" passages of the bible, no?
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn't say that.
ReplyDeletewhy not? God is here acting on both sides, instead of lining up all one one side. Here God is positive AND negetive.
ReplyDeleteIt's putting the onus on something external. It's saying we're rich or poor, strong or weak, smart or dumb because some supernatural force willed it.
ReplyDeleteYes, but since the Biblical tradition pretty much always talks of the divine as being external, ya gotta admit it's pretty close. I've always assumed that the externality was a metaphor or just a way of talking, that was taken too seriously later. That is the danger of holy texts, when you freeze a teaching forever. What may have been an appropriate metaphor for one time or one people is not necessarily for another
ReplyDelete