Very well put in the first paragraph...I agree 100%. Plus, nice religious metaphor with Moses. Indeed, much commentary has been written about the fact that he never set foot in the land he brought his people to.
On the second point, however, I'm more cautious. Not that I agree with monks who whip themselves as punishment to feel the same suffering of Jesus. But I get the point. You can push it too far, of course. I don't believe humanity *deserves* suffering or that we're sinful by nature doomed to suffer forever. Suffering is more in the eye of the beholder. It is what makes us human, I think. Getting by with finding happiness. I think that is what disturbs many about religious fundamentalism in general, but Israel in particular here, is that Jewish existence for a thousand years was shaped by factors which we're not really aware of as much now that there is a homeland. The phrase as Passover "next year in Jerusalem" takes on odd significane post-Zionism.
It's a little Jurassic Park-ish where we've gone and done something without real regard for the impact. This idea of a religiously-based state whether Israel or Christian or Muslim has the very real problem of execution. I think the grass is too green on the other side for folks who long for a spiritually based nation. I'm personally more a fan of "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's." LOL A different view of separation of church and state, but same result.
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Date: 2006-10-05 04:18 pm (UTC)From:On the second point, however, I'm more cautious. Not that I agree with monks who whip themselves as punishment to feel the same suffering of Jesus. But I get the point. You can push it too far, of course. I don't believe humanity *deserves* suffering or that we're sinful by nature doomed to suffer forever. Suffering is more in the eye of the beholder. It is what makes us human, I think. Getting by with finding happiness. I think that is what disturbs many about religious fundamentalism in general, but Israel in particular here, is that Jewish existence for a thousand years was shaped by factors which we're not really aware of as much now that there is a homeland. The phrase as Passover "next year in Jerusalem" takes on odd significane post-Zionism.
It's a little Jurassic Park-ish where we've gone and done something without real regard for the impact. This idea of a religiously-based state whether Israel or Christian or Muslim has the very real problem of execution. I think the grass is too green on the other side for folks who long for a spiritually based nation. I'm personally more a fan of "render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's." LOL A different view of separation of church and state, but same result.