1.03.2004
Ethical Framework? Is Yours Christian?
What is your ethical framework?
If the ethical light you find yourself drawn to emulating is Jesus of the Christian tradition I have a gift for you. Actually a couple of gifts.
However you steer yourself through life I think these links are good food for consideration. Secular or an adherent of any of the world's moral spiritual authorities being a good human being is pretty much the same. The avenues of explication may be culturally different, but the basuis is the same, Hindu, Jew, Muslim, Christian, Pagan or Humanist- whatever variation, whatever label, the bottom line is the same. Zorastrian, Sikh, Buddhist, the same.... Talk with a living exemplar, Orval Looking Horse, Thich Nhat Hahn, the Dalai Lama, Kurt Vonnegut.
Human life comes with no owners manual, but the basic ideas are simple.
Gift one: A translation of my favorite Christian scripture, The Gospel of Thomas. Here's a taste:
Jesus said, "Don't lie, and don't do what you hate, because all things are disclosed before heaven. After all, there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and there is nothing covered up that will remain undisclosed."
Jeremy over at Fantastic Planet is a Christian scriptural scholar, he has been offering exegesis of the Gospel of Thomas for a bit now, and will cover the 113 logon contained there completely. I urge you to read his work. I have read his political work for quite a while now, and a while back was pleasantly surprised to find his translation from the Coptic of my favorite Christian book. Read this book and find what the hard hearted fundies miss in their version of "Christianity", a version that would, from all evidence tendered, find the loving prophet once again suffering at the hands of man.
The second gift is to bring to your attention the fact that the Pope, spiritual leader of the Catholic version of Christianity
calling for a world body that would call all nations to follow international law, since the US in all it's economic and military power can supersede any international body that sets the rules for world justice; one can see how client states such as Israel are also allowed to miss the moral ride on the high road of justice with our nations help. (Thank you's to Benedict for the link)
Remember that ALL world religions came out against the US dismissal of international law to attack and occupy Iraq.
OK, the Southern Baptists were all for war, do the word of Jesus support such action?
The Prince of Peace.
Bush and company LIE. Regularly.
Think about it, judge for yourself...
1/03/2004
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