And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight every one against his brother, and every one against his neighbor; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.When others encounter difficulties, the Biblical writers often attributed such problems to the intent of God. Tao, on the other hand, plays no part in these kinds of human foibles. When brother is set against brother, each is responsible for the tempest and no else.
~ King James version ~
Tao sets no one against no one else.
~ possible Taoist alternative ~
If you're interested in reading more from this experimental series, go to the Tao Bible Index page.
Having spent 16 years reading the Torah cycle every year and growing up Christian and having again studied the Old and New Testament I am dumb struck by the rationalizations for violence in the name of God and thankful that the Way of Tao is my Way.
ReplyDeleteJesus seems so pacifist/ alternative in much he preaches and then there is the line during Holy week about taking up a sword and a disciple asks him did he really mean that and he says that they will need it. That one line justifies all Christian involvement in war. The Torah is a horror of carnage and retribution in God's name.
Only when one takes full and complete responsibility for ones action does one see the futility of anger/violence. Gotama Siddhartha said that anger is the only thing he advocates killing. Yet we have to accept that we are each different individuals with different needs for life and how do we negotiate getting those needs. It is the awareness that every moment is a "negotiation" to continue breathing and experiencing life and human relations are no different. No one want to die if they do not have to. So we negotiate to keep living. Negotiate away our anger. Practice that every day.
iljung
I was watching Bible Battles on the History channel the other day, and reflected on the attack at Jerico. The Israelites went in there and slaughtered everything that moved, including all the goats and sheep... everything and everyone. Keep in mind this was an unprovoked attack, they just decided to begin their conquest of Canaan there. I seem to recall that subsequent attacks were also massacres. Of course the Bible says they were ordered by God to do so.
ReplyDeleteBut think about it. First, the Israelites are moving in, and had to eliminate the previous inhabitants, and making them move means they may someday try to come back. But more importantly, this is such obvious propoganda and manipulation by the priests: how else can you get the regular soldier to walk into a city that never had anything against you and slaughter every man, woman, child, dog, goat, sheep, and horse? Psychologically speaking, you need some motivation for such an unprovoked bloodbath, here, it comes from God.
Conversely, it may be that in the heat of battle the soldiers went into a frenzy and killed everything, and that was later explained away by the priests as having been commanded by God. Either way, to me any real God doesn't come into this at all. It's just propoganda.