I think this is only part of it. I think that divinity also wants us to transcend that within us which is counter to the divine.
I agree. This seems to be why Jesus put loving God above and before loving self and others.
It needs context, as well as a living interpretive tradition that can help us delve out the point of the "rules," to make sure that we can bring those rules into new situations and have them achieve what they were meant to achieve in their original context.
I'm with you so far. But thinking about this after making my original post led me to amend my thoughts to include interpretation.
But to tie this to what you said, this is why Tradition must be a living, breathing thing. Allowing it to solidified and cease to address the current situation is the problem.
Yes, this is the danger.
I fear though that tradition too can become a kind of arrogance. The feminists have a saying of which I'm fond -- "Well-behaved women rarely make history." It was not women who were considered well-behaved who agitated for suffrage (and who continue to do so in some parts of the world). They did not (and do not) have tradition on their side.
It's difficult for Americans today to contemplate women without the ability to vote -- but that's because 1920's revolution is today's tradition. There are times when it is right and necessary to challenge tradition.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-05-04 07:24 pm (UTC)I agree. This seems to be why Jesus put loving God above and before loving self and others.
It needs context, as well as a living interpretive tradition that can help us delve out the point of the "rules," to make sure that we can bring those rules into new situations and have them achieve what they were meant to achieve in their original context.
I'm with you so far. But thinking about this after making my original post led me to amend my thoughts to include interpretation.
But to tie this to what you said, this is why Tradition must be a living, breathing thing. Allowing it to solidified and cease to address the current situation is the problem.
Yes, this is the danger.
I fear though that tradition too can become a kind of arrogance. The feminists have a saying of which I'm fond -- "Well-behaved women rarely make history." It was not women who were considered well-behaved who agitated for suffrage (and who continue to do so in some parts of the world). They did not (and do not) have tradition on their side.
It's difficult for Americans today to contemplate women without the ability to vote -- but that's because 1920's revolution is today's tradition. There are times when it is right and necessary to challenge tradition.