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Abraham acts like a man who has been chosen; he acts with the assurance that he is superior to others and that he has Yahweh's favor. In fact, he boldly intercedes when Yahweh informs him that He plans to destroy Sodom, and Sodom is briefly spared as a result of Abraham's righteousness. What Abraham's story makes clear is that Old Testament righteousness cannot be defined or explained by modern definitions of morality. On the contrary, Old Testament morality came down to a single major issue: whether one would submit to the will of Yahweh. If so, then one was considered moral. As a result, even when the authors do not show overt approval of the patriarchs' actions, they do not show any type of condemnation of those actions. In fact, even when the authors do not justify the patriarchs' actions, they at least pass along the justifications that the patriarchs give for those actions....
In fact, it is important to the development of Judaism that the authors did not overtly justify the patriarchs' actions; their acceptance was unimportant, what was important was Yahweh's reaction to those actions. As ancient Jews, the authors would have been aware that their approval or disapproval of the patriarchs' actions would have been disrespectful to Yahweh. They had no right to question Yahweh's choice of Abraham as the founder of Judaism, Yahweh's tacit approval of Abraham's deceptions or his treatment of Hagar and Ishmael, or Yahweh's demand that Abraham sacrifice Isaac. In fact, that the authors show such a non-judgmental attitude towards Abraham's behavior demonstrates that they understood the large-scale implication of Abraham's story, which was that the Jews were Yahweh's chosen people and that they would be rewarded as long as they remained obedient to Yahweh.
Patriarch Nothing stays with us in life as powerfully as the images of our parents we take with us into adulthood. A harsh father, a loving mother, a single parent who was on the edge of exhaustion, but always available... The emotions attached to these memories affect our adult decisions. These recollections influence how we see ourselves, who we believe we can be in the adult world, and who we
Christian Biotechnology: Not a Contradiction in Terms Presented with the idea of "Bioethics" most people in the scientific community today immediately get the impression of repressive, Luddite forces wishing to stifle research and advancement in the name of morality and God. Unfortunately, this stereotype too often holds true. If one looks over the many independent sites on the Internet regarding bioethics, reads popular magazines and publications, or browses library shelves for
Rome vs. Christianity In order to understand the importance of Jesus' claim as the King of the Jews, it is important to understand Judaism at the time of the New Testament. This can be done by looking at the New Testament, but also by looking at contemporaneous historical documents. However, it is important to realize that, from a theological standpoint, Christian theology is separate from its counterparts in the Roman Empire,
260). This cosmological discussion is one reason Origen is said to have "created, indeed embodied, the first model of a scientific theology;" his approach to the notion of metempsychosis, like nearly all of his theological work, is rooted in a steadfast determination to distinguish "between the dogmata of the church tradition and the problemata which were to be discussed" according to reason, logic, and a prototype of the scientific
Both have in their own way gone against the norm. When Babli, embittered by the men in her life, and after losing hope of ever having the man she loves decides to have a baby alone, she breaks her fathers will. For in a traditional Hindu family the girl accepts the match set up by the father, but here, we read how she chooses her mate, loses him and
Birth Control and Christianity Debate: Introduction Birth control or family planning is one of the most controversial issues, widely and passionately discussed by the Church and one for which a clear answer or solution has remained elusive. With rising population rate, many experts maintain that birth control is not only important, it is critical for the survival of the planet. Birth control methods both artificial and natural have been widely promoted