Trey Smith
Right and wrong are situational. In the appropriate situation, nothing is wrong. Without the appropriate situation, nothing is right.In a nutshell, the point made in the above snippet underscores the prime reason that -- even when I called myself a Christian long ago -- I have never been enthralled with the 10 Commandments. They are rigid and unbending rules that don't take factors and situations into account.
~ a passage from The Book of Leadership and Strategy by Thomas Cleary ~
Almost anything a person might do could be justifiable in a particular circumstance. It all depends on the multitude of variables involved.
Of course, we humans like it when life is clear-cut. It makes living so much easier. You just pull out your handy mental Rolodex and scan down to find out if what you want to do is on the OK list.
Without these clear-cut [external] rules, we are forced to think deeply. How will my preferred action impact myself and others, now and in the future? Is this thing I want to do (or not do) based on an attempt to satisfy my ego-based craven desires or is it the proper thing to do in this given situation?
To read the introduction to this ongoing series, go here.
You'd never be able to convince most Christians that life is actually harder without outwardly imposed rules - for anyone with some empathy and conscientiousness that is.
ReplyDeleteJust listened to something by Alan Watts where he maintained that a God would have to be a fool to give us rules and an inerrant Scripture, because that would rot our brains, we wouldn't have to think.