[Magdalen] What a news day (& at least out here, it's only started).

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

You've got ten slots and you blow one just for saying, "Don't use the name
'YHVH' pointlessly."

And then there's all that silliness about sitting at home on Saturday, no
matter what. Period.
And We. Will. Kill. You. if you don't obey. Even if you don't know what the
rule is.

I kind of prefer the bcp version where they set the literal stuff aside and
set some rational guidelines, calculated to accomplish what Scripture
alleged god wants anyway.

If someone brings up the Ten Words, I have two basic responses.

1. We don't know when it happened, but it is very likely the product of a
moral code that anyone could memorize, and if you can count on your
fingers, you know if you've got 'em all.  The early Church was a saddlebag
affair, when most of the folks were minding flocks.  I think it has a grasp
of many because it is really the most ancient attempt at law we know of,
and it has a few points that really go to the core of moral action, e.g.,
coveting.

2. We honor the Ten Words, but our moral guidance far extends beyond that,
just as the ancient Torah had long ago already established many, many other
rules. Torah offers a huge array of resources that are not rules or laws.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 5:27 PM, Scott Knitter <scottknitter at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 25, 2015 at 4:20 PM, Judy Fleener <fleenerj at gmail.com> wrote:
> > You're proud of that right?   Like when my d-in-l asked me, "At least you
> > believe in the ten commandments, don't you?"  I answered:  "I suppose
> they
> > are fine if you live in a male dominated agrarian society." Thank you,
> Jack
> > Spong.
>
> Although from the 10 Commandments we learn our duty to God and our
> duty to our neighbors?
>
> --
> Scott R. Knitter
> Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois USA
>