"Radical Centrist
Proverbs" Explained
Radical Centrism really is something new, but it
rests on foundations which
extend back millennia. What is interesting is
that, once you learn the premises
of Radical Centrism, you can find prototype
wisdom in the Bible, sayings that
reflect RC philosophy.
There is no claim that the Bible is a Radical
Centrist book. Any claims that
the Bible supports one kind of politics to the
exclusion of all others simply
does not match the evidence.
You can find several political viewpoints in its
pages, upholding several
perspectives. These include the concern for the
poor which is typical
of liberals , concern for family values which
characterizes conservatism,
plus repeated reference to forms of monarchism.
As well, depending on
how you interpret the Book of Judges, 'when there
was no king in Israel
and everyone did what was right in his own eyes,'
maybe a form of'
libertarianism. And the twelve tribe amphictyony
--confederation--
may suggest a predecessor to democracy.
Regardless, there are precedents for Radical
Centrism in the Judeo-Christian
scriptures. Far more, in fact, than the following
material suggests. But to secure
a foundation, a number of verses from the Hebrew
Bible ( Old Testament )
Book of Proverbs and from Ecclesiastes should
make matters clear.
Most of the verses simply indicate the kind of
ethical views that Radical Centrists
take for granted. But a few seem to go further
and anticipate actual Radical Centrism
as we now know it. These are :
Proverbs 11 : 14 For want of leadership
a people perishes,
safety lies in many advisers
That is, basic to RC is seeking as many
viewpoints as possible before arriving at
decisions or conclusions.
Proverbs 14 : 15 The simpleton believes
any message, a person of discretion
treads a careful path.
That is, we are not --or not usually-- likely
to find political panaceas appealing
and generally are highly skeptical of political
claims that offer what cannot be delivered.
Proverbs 28 : 18 Whoever lives an honest
life will be safe, whoever wavers between
two [dubious] ways falls down in one of
them
This seems to be exactly what we are all about
even if, to be sure, there is much more
to be said. The word "dubious" has been supplied
but seems to be implicit in both the
New Jerusalem and the New English translations.
Most quotations are from the NJB
but some are from the NEB, with a few that use
one or another word from the other
since this seems to make the sense clearer.
Ecclesiastes 4 : 12 Where one alone
would be overcome, two will put up resistance;
and a threefold cord is not quickly
broken.
This verse needs to be "expanded" broadly but if
that is done we can find the principle
that reliance on just one side in a debate is
questionable, seeking the best from two sides
is far better, and arriving at a third view
which combines the strengths of each side is best.
Ecclesiastes 11 : 2 Divide your
merchandise among seven ventures, maybe eight,
since you do not know what disasters may
occur on earth.
Here we get the Radical Centrist principle that
it often is necessary to take into account
as many political ( or other ) views as possible,
not just Right and Left.
The proverbs selected begin with Wisdom speaking,
as She does in most of the
Book of Proverbs. Her advice is excellent but to
the point is that this seemed
like a good idea so that the reader will know who
is speaking, namely,
Wisdom personified as a "divine woman," the
Chokhma, to use one
Hebrew version of the name.
Billy
Oct 21, 2011
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Radical Centrist
Proverbs
Proverbs 1
|
20
Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she
raises her voice in the public squares;
|
|
21
she calls out at the street corners, she
delivers her message at the city gates.
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|
22
'You simple people, how much longer will
you cling to your simple ways? How much
longer will mockers revel in their
mocking and fools go on hating
knowledge?
|
|
23
Pay attention to my warning. To you I
will pour out my heart and tell you what
I have to say.
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Proverbs 3
|
13
Blessed are those who have discovered
wisdom, those who have acquired
understanding!
|
|
14
Gaining her is more rewarding than
silver, her yield is more valuable than
gold.
|
|
15
She is beyond the price of pearls,
nothing you could covet is her equal.
|
---------------------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 8
11 For
Wisdom is more precious than jewels, and
nothing else is so worthy of desire.
33
Listen to instruction and become wise, do not
reject it.
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Proverbs 11
3 The
honest have their own honesty for guidance, the
treacherous are ruined by their own perfidy.
14 For
want of leadership a people perishes, safety
lies in many advisers.
19
Whoever establishes uprightness is on the way to
life, whoever pursues evil, on the way to death.
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Proverbs 12
11
Whoever works his land shall have bread and to
spare, but no one who chases fantasies has any
sense.
18
Thoughtless words can wound like a sword, but
the tongue of the wise brings healing.
26 The
upright shows the way to a friend; the way of
the wicked leads them astray.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 13
20
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
whoever mixes with fools will be ruined.
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Proverbs 14
15 The
simpleton believes any message, a person of
discretion treads a careful path.
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Proverbs 15
7 The
lips of the wise spread knowledge, not so the
hearts of fools.
22
Without deliberation plans come to nothing.
Plans succeed where counsellors are many.
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Proverbs 17
3 A
furnace for silver, a foundry for gold, but the
Almighty for the testing of hearts!
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Proverbs 18
2 A fool
takes no pleasure in understanding but only in
airing an opinion.
|
12
The human heart is haughty until
destruction comes, before there can be
glory there must be humility.
|
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13
To retort without first listening is
both foolish and embarrassing
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 20
15 There
are gold and jewels of every type, but a
priceless ornament is speech informed by
knowledge.
18 Plans
are matured by consultation; take wise advice
when waging war.
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Proverbs 23
23 Purchase truth, never sell it ;
buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
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Proverbs 27
17 Iron is sharpened by iron, one
person is sharpened by contact with another.
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Proverbs 28
18
Whoever lives an honest life will be safe,
whoever wavers between two [dubious] ways
falls down in one of them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Proverbs 29
8
Scoffers set a city in ferment, but the wise
moderate anger.
18 Where
there is no vision the people forget all good
sense; but a guardian of the law keeps them on
a straight path.
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Proverbs 31
|
8
Make your views heard, on behalf of the
mute, on behalf of all the unwanted;
|
|
9
make your views heard, pronounce an
upright verdict, defend the cause of the
wretched and the poor.
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=========================================================
Ecclesiastes 3
|
1
There is a season for everything, a time
for every purpose under heaven:
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|
2
A time for giving birth, a time for
dying; a time for planting, a time for
uprooting what has been planted.
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|
3
A time for killing, a time for healing;
a time for knocking down, a time for
building.
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4
A time for tears, a time for laughter; a
time for mourning, a time for dancing.
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5
A time for throwing stones away, a time
for gathering them; a time for
embracing, a time to refrain from
embracing.
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6
A time for searching, a time for losing;
a time for keeping, a time for
discarding.
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7
A time for tearing, a time for sewing; a
time for keeping silent, a time for
speaking.
|
|
8
A time for loving, a time for hating; a
time for war, a time for peace.
|
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ecclesiastes 4
12 Where
one alone would be overcome, two will put up
resistance; and a threefold cord is not quickly
broken.
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Ecclesiastes 7
14 When things are going well, enjoy
yourself, and when they are going badly, consider
this: God has designed the one no less than the
other so that we should take nothing for granted.
20 No one on earth is sufficiently
upright to do good without ever sinning.
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Ecclesiastes 9
|
18
Wisdom is worth more than weapons of
war, but a single sin undoes much good.
----------------------------------------------------------------
|
Ecclesiastes 11
2 Divide your merchandise among seven
ventures, maybe eight, since you do not know
what disasters may occur on earth.
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Ecclesiastes 12
9 - 10 Koheleth turned over many maxims in his
mind and sought how best to set them out.
He chose his words to give pleasure, but what
he wrote was honest truth,
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