Religion: pros & cons pt1 (Religion)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Tuesday, October 21, 2014, 02:20 (3684 days ago) @ David Turell

David: With my Jewish background, I find your comment as somewhat contentious in tone. Perhaps you don't mean it that way. I view the OT as perfctly adequate to teach the lessons of life, when modified by the interpretations of the Mishna and later the Talmud, the Midrash, the Kaballah and other commentaries by Rashi, Maimonides and Nahmanides (Ramban). These soften the somewhat fierce view of God in the OT that comes about from simply reading words, rather than looking for deeper meanings. My belief in the Godhead is unitarian. The NT presents in simple reading seemingly presents a more loving God. That represents to me the maturing of a more civilized human population. But for Jew and Christian He is the same God. Naturally, as a Christian, you take the point of view you have stated and perhaps wonder why we Jews don't need the NT. I have read portions of the Gospels. I consider Jesus a great teacher who followed in the footsteps of Hillel. 
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> I find your knowledge of both testaments as truly amazing. I hope you will continue to teach us from your viewpoint.-I didn't mean them as contentious or offensive any more than any of us mean any of our differing view points on anything to be offensive. To me, it is a matter of record. Part of it stems from a look at prophecy. The prophets of the OT, which you accept, prophesied a great many things that were fulfilled in Christ, which you reject as the Son of God. Not AS God, as his Son, which is all he ever claimed to be. How can the Jews accept their prophets and prophecies but not their fulfillment?-Some people, I find, also take offence at the term 'ignorant', seemingly confusing it with 'stupid', 'foolish' or some other derogatory remark. I simply mean it in the purist sense of 'not knowing'. In some cases, they willingly remain 'not knowing' because 'knowing' infers a kind of accountability on people that is uncomfortable. Ironically, this too is a well established by principle. Romans 3:20 "... through the law we become conscious of our sin."-The OT, even in its original form is a book dominated by love. DHW looks at the laws espoused in it and sees them as vicious. As you rightly pointed out, this comes from "simply reading words, rather than looking for deeper meanings". In many cases this type of view doesn't even come from reading the words because a great many of the words are completely and utterly ignored.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.