Judaism Passion For Meaning
Cardia Brown
Dr. Graham Hales
REL 131
November 29, 2015
Judaism Passion for Meaning
Meaning? What is meant by a word, text, concept, or action. Intended to communicate something that is not directly expressed, according to Wikipedia. It is very easy in this day and time to understand the reason Jews looked for meaning in every aspect of their lives.
According to Houston Smith there were several meanings the Jews lived by and the first is the Meaning in God, which referred to the beginning of human being and that no one clamied to be self-made or just appeared into being. Second is the Meaning in Creation, which referred to some philosophers believed in God and that he created the Heavens and the Earth and other’s explained that it was …show more content…
It’s like they are saying these men are like characters in a play but they could never be real heroes that was led by God because they seem unhuman according to their lives. Fourth is the Meaning of History, which posed a good question, What is at stake when we ask if there is meaning in history? At stake is our whole attitude toward the social order and collective life within it. If we decide that history is meaningless, it follows that social, political, and cultural contexts of life do not warrant active concern. To Jesus history was of towering significance. Fifth is the Meaning of Morality, which deals with ethical concerns, restraints, and the Ten
Commandments which are minimum standards that make collective life possible. Sixth is the
Meaning of Justice, meaning the prerequisite of political stability is social justice, for it is in the nature of things that injustice will not endure. Stated theologically the point reads: God has high standards. Seventh is the Meaning in Suffering, which stemmed from the Israelites had …show more content…
Finally the Chosen People and God….. All of this led the Jews to believe they were special in God’s eye sight that they were truly better than all others that lived, breathed, or even mattered. Maybe they thought it was because of the passion they had for their God and their people, which made believers as well as non- believers ponder the thought, how can God, who says he is love truly say the Jews are a Chosen
People. Houston Smith wrote, “Certainly, the idea that a universal God decided that the divine nature should be uniquely and incomparably disclosed to a single people is among the most difficult notions to take seriously in the entire study of religion. It is awkward not only for the screening to violate principles of impartiality and fair play, but, also because many peoples considered themselves special “. Moses tells the Jews, “The Lord God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the people that are on the face of this earth”
(Deuteronomy 7:6). Is there any reason to think we are in the presence of anything more than routine religious chauvinism? One would definitely find it easy to paint the picture on the canvas of
Dr. Graham Hales
REL 131
November 29, 2015
Judaism Passion for Meaning
Meaning? What is meant by a word, text, concept, or action. Intended to communicate something that is not directly expressed, according to Wikipedia. It is very easy in this day and time to understand the reason Jews looked for meaning in every aspect of their lives.
According to Houston Smith there were several meanings the Jews lived by and the first is the Meaning in God, which referred to the beginning of human being and that no one clamied to be self-made or just appeared into being. Second is the Meaning in Creation, which referred to some philosophers believed in God and that he created the Heavens and the Earth and other’s explained that it was …show more content…
It’s like they are saying these men are like characters in a play but they could never be real heroes that was led by God because they seem unhuman according to their lives. Fourth is the Meaning of History, which posed a good question, What is at stake when we ask if there is meaning in history? At stake is our whole attitude toward the social order and collective life within it. If we decide that history is meaningless, it follows that social, political, and cultural contexts of life do not warrant active concern. To Jesus history was of towering significance. Fifth is the Meaning of Morality, which deals with ethical concerns, restraints, and the Ten
Commandments which are minimum standards that make collective life possible. Sixth is the
Meaning of Justice, meaning the prerequisite of political stability is social justice, for it is in the nature of things that injustice will not endure. Stated theologically the point reads: God has high standards. Seventh is the Meaning in Suffering, which stemmed from the Israelites had …show more content…
Finally the Chosen People and God….. All of this led the Jews to believe they were special in God’s eye sight that they were truly better than all others that lived, breathed, or even mattered. Maybe they thought it was because of the passion they had for their God and their people, which made believers as well as non- believers ponder the thought, how can God, who says he is love truly say the Jews are a Chosen
People. Houston Smith wrote, “Certainly, the idea that a universal God decided that the divine nature should be uniquely and incomparably disclosed to a single people is among the most difficult notions to take seriously in the entire study of religion. It is awkward not only for the screening to violate principles of impartiality and fair play, but, also because many peoples considered themselves special “. Moses tells the Jews, “The Lord God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession, out of all the people that are on the face of this earth”
(Deuteronomy 7:6). Is there any reason to think we are in the presence of anything more than routine religious chauvinism? One would definitely find it easy to paint the picture on the canvas of