[Marsha] What exactly is the morality of the Jews? Why is it appealing? Quite frankly, after reading you two, coupled with the idea that all is analogy, there is only one thing for a person to do. That would be to fix motorcycles. And maybe to add kindness and some good play.
[Krimel] Jewish morality is undergirded by the golden rule. Well, an inverted Golden Rule anyway. "Do not under others as you would have them do not unto you." Basically tend to your own business. Jewish culture also orients members toward their place in the group, their duty as parents and children; it promotes a sense of fidelity to family. It is like Confucianism in this respect only older. The reason I find it more interesting than oriental ideas is that it is the basis of western culture. Early Christians under the prodding of the Roman Empire molded Greek metaphysics into Jewish ethics. It was something of an antidote for the licentious behavior of the Romans. Jewish ethics do not strive so much to intellectually justify its formulations but simply to pass them on. They have worked as a model for social conduct for about 3,000 years. They have held together a culture that nearly everyone else on the planet as actively tried to eradicate at one time or another. Jews have survived as a group on the power of their practices to bind the people together. The chief holiday of the Jews is the Day of Atonement. On this day members of the community are enjoined to reflect on who they have offended or harmed in the previous year and to seek them out and make amends. I respect a holiday like that. But the bottom line is that western culture has been modeled and shaped but Judaism in the guise of Christianity. I am interested in the religions that inform the beliefs of my friends and family and have shaped the world I live in. Eastern religions have on occasion provided a mild and pleasant diversion. Taoist metaphysics and ideas have had a lasting influence on me personally but not so much on the world I live in. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
