I was 17 years old. This was Philosophy 101. There stood Dr. Rob Brady, diminutive in stature, expansive in mind, with a Socratic gleam in his eye and devilish grin on his face.
"Let's imagine your wife is imprisoned in Nazi Germany. They will let her go free if she agrees to have sex with a Nazi guard and be impregnated. Do you advise your wife to have sex with the guard or not? And if so, do you hope that she enjoys herself?" I will never forget the horror I felt when I saw the number of people who would let the woman rot in a Nazi prison.
"Let's imagine constructing a society using the philosophical strategy known as the 'veil of ignorance.' In this set-up, you have no information regarding who you are -- your race, gender, class, sexual orientation, intellectual capacity, physical ability, etc. You must try to establish a just society. Only after you have constructed the society is your own social location revealed." I wasn't religious; I was captivated by the ethical challenge.
I promptly became a Philosophy major.
In Matthew 22, we find Jesus catching it from the Left and Right. Just before our passage, the Sadducees (the landed aristocracy whose power was based upon the Temple and inheritance, legacy-based traditions) go after him. In 22:34-46, the Pharisees (those concerned about the people of the land, a more democratic movement) go up against him for the sole purpose of "testing" and entrapping him. But Jesus pandered to no one: not Sadducees, not Pharisees, not Zealots (the nationalistic movement that repudiated any cooperation with Rome who occupied their country), not even Rome itself. Over-indulged religious leaders and government officials alike found it impossible to get him to sell-out. Jesus remained single-minded throughout his life: Love God and neighbor, neighbor and God.
Then, let the chips fall where they may.
They ask Jesus: "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" An ethical challenge.
How does Jesus respond? With a media-worthy sound-bite, partisan talking-point, the latest brilliant, think-tank political and economic theory? Nope. Jesus presumably underwhelms by merely quoting scriptures that any Jew of speaking age then or now could probably recite:
"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Jesus' first quote comes from Deuteronomy 6:5, part of the prayer known simply as the Shema. The second is found in Leviticus 19, which says, among other things:
Watch 'Occupy Wall Street: Voices from Zuccotti Park' and share your thoughts...
We're now a month into #OccupyWallStreet. What's it all about? Opinions vary. I've had lively conversations these past few days with friends who identify across the political and religious spectrum. I've been left with the unsettling, distinct feeling that Dr. Brady's class, Jesus and the #OWS process intersect in provocative ways that demand attention.
1. How much is enough?
We've all read the news, so we know the routine. Liberals want a redistribution of wealth that takes money from the extremely rich and gives it to the poor with the government heavily involved. Conservatives argue that the wealthy already pay the majority of taxes and the government should stay out of things since it is bloated and inefficient and should just let the market fix things. Both sides have some valid arguments and concerns.
What doesn't seem to be on the table is "how much is enough?" What does "enough" look like? Is there a point where "more than enough" cripples us, truly cripples us as human beings made in the image of God? Sure, Ebenezer Scrooge worked tirelessly to amass his wealth. But at what point did his greed chain him at the expense of his neighbor?
2. What about the "veil of ignorance"?
We would all do well to don it. We tend to argue with only our own experiences, assumptions and prospects in mind. It's hard not to. But justice demands otherwise. As Martin Luther King Jr. insisted: "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial 'outside agitator' idea." What system would we advocate if we argued using the "veil of ignorance"? That's the view of "heaven on earth" that Matthew is talking about.
3. Generosity?
Do we or do we not, as individuals and as a community, have the capacity for generosity? Deep generosity. Not just "fairness." Not bean-counting. Generosity. Again, Scrooge was "fair." He agreed to pay a wage and he paid it. He was always timely with the wage and entirely predictable. He was Scrooge. Heads-up, friends.
4. Where's the accountability?
There can be no convincing justice without rigorous systems of accountability. #OWS has made it obvious that Americans of every age, race and political affiliation understand that our mechanisms of accountability have failed abysmally, all the way around. People are "cheating the system" in various ways and sometimes being generously rewarded for doing so. Jesus was all about gracious love, which includes straightforward accountability.
5. Until We Have Faces
Whatever the final outcome of #OWS, it's encouraging to find ourselves in dialogue about the common good once again. We are crossing the lines of age, race, gender and political party. Our neighbors are starting to have faces, and that's crucial. We can't love in the abstract, at least not well.
We are in the habit of caricature. If someone disagrees with us, we tend not to listen deeply, respectfully and humbly; rather, we immediately think, if not say, "Of course you think that, you are a _______ (fill in the blank: liberal, conservative, whatever). We assume the other person is not as smart, perceptive, informed, objective, ethical or faithful as we are. They are deluded because they get their news from such and such a source. We will do anything in our power to avoid listening and taking each other's points seriously. As Jesus knew, we will crucify faster than we will listen or stand corrected in any way. Until we treat one another as friends, as those who have faces, we will stand polarized and unable, unwilling to compromise and devise solutions, preferring to blame and complain instead.
We have a rare opportunity at this time in this place to build something worthwhile and true, just and rich, that comes from our very best selves, our humble, generous, other-oriented, daringly hopeful selves. That is, our godly selves.
Editor's Note: ON Scripture is a series of Christian scripture commentaries produced in collaboration with Odyssey Networks. Each week pastors from around the country will approach the lectionary text of the week through the lens of current events, providing a religious voice that is both pastoral and prophetic.
Greg Carey: Occupy Jerusalem: How Jesus Got Himself Killed
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Matthew 22 NIV - The Parable of the Wedding Banquet - Bible ...
I became a philosophy, lover of wisdom which can't be taught but one must have it which I got from living the wandering nomad's life Jesus taught. I've found poverty is a mental state because of coveting what others have. I have almost nothing but am the riches man I know because most things I need are air, food, water and wisdom enough to get it exists and desire I keep limited to them. I love my neighbor as myself but don't push it on others. Jesus' question is answered, via reincarnation.
Via reincarnation I believe I was Obama in an earlier cycle of civilization (Ecclesiastes 1:9) giving me insight into what's required for constitutionally operating this nation. It requires completely eliminating the nation's "Domestic Enemies" governing us for not attempting to fulfill the Preamble using the Article and Amendments to achieve it. Amendment 10 gives the people the right to eliminate everyone elected in city, state and federal governments, being states are also, for not protecting the constitution in naming themselves as candidates, receiving Supreme Court sanctioned bribes and not adhering to the governed. Make that the Umbrella under which all OWS complaints are listed and show the world the corruption of this nation.
http://www.change.org/petitions/eliminate-capitalistic-military-regime will do it.
The rich are here to save the poor, but in the end the poor will save the rich. All are tested of their truth Faith in God. Those who do not know their money can be their worst curse for them, if they chose to worship money as their god. No one gets to where they are by luck, God places them there, and those who have been given much, will answer for much. Ones blessings from God are to become a blessing to others, thus then God continues to bless and all are blessed and all are in need of nothing. Until those fail their test, and greed conquers them. Love all.
First, most people believe infrastructure in society is created both by government and privately owned institutions. Infrastructure is governance and public institutions like schools, libraries, basic services that private enterprise does poorly or can't do (which believe it or not are quite a few). Infrastructure is our roads, bridges, courts, patent protection, safety. The infrastructure disproportionately benefits the rich today and corporations.Tax law is written primarily for those who have capital and provides the cheapest cost of it for the wealthy. The poor don't have money for capital investments, they can't even fund their own higher education. The middle class a little bit. Our country is built for those who get most of their wealth not from their labor, and I'm talking about the wealthy. The idea of redistribution is to create balance because the system is anything but.
The idea of redistribution is to provide education for all our people no matter where they live or the economic strata. The redistribution is because the poor use almost all of their income to survive within a short term horizon while the wealthy use very little of their income for that, but a huge amount of their wealth to invest in things without any reliance on their labor. These investments are made in global companies and in companies overseas. Whatever makes the most money.
If they obeyed the Laws of Moses giving once they entered the Promise Land of God, God would continue to bless them, but if they disobeyed the Laws of God and broke their covenant with God, God said warned them all, God would give them the Laws of Curses, instead. God did not break His covenant with them, sadly disobedience entered in. Read the Laws of Curses, Micah 5-7-8, Ezekel, 16:24-252nd Kings 22:8 Chronicles 34:15, 21-24 read Revelations Chapter 2-9- Chapter 3-9, read Deut 28:64- Deut 32:36. God said, He would scatter as slaves into other Nations. God said in the end God will choose them again first, and God Will, not man call and gather them all home, from the 4 quarters of the earth in the end of time. Not man, for God said: they do not know who they are, they lost their identity when taken as slaves into other Nations. God said He Will place it in their hearts to do who they are, and they will have no doubt it is He who calls them. Read Revelations Chapter 2:9-3:9. I love all dearly and God loves all dearly.
But hey, surely there is a way to rationalize as True Love.
...one at a time.
The only god is the one who you have allowed to live in your head.
"Actually Satan is a real being-- a powerful angel fallen from grace of God by his disobedience. He is right now leading most of the earths inhabitants in a rebellion against God."
I hope you don't have children because growing up with this would be tantamount to child abuse.
BTW, where is this Satan anyway? On Earth, in the sky, on another galaxy, Newark?
Those who abandon their families will be rewarded. (Matthew 19:29)
"For I am come to set man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother... And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Christ - Matthew 10:35-36)
"I came not to send peace, but a sword" (Christ - Matthew 10:34)
If you don't have a sword, sell your clothes to buy one. (Luke 22:36)
Christ cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit in off-season. (Mark 11:12-14, 20-21)
Christ didn't want to help a girl because she was a "dog" gentile. (Matthew 15:22-28)
Of course, there are several good passages in the Bible, the ones that are carefully selected by a minister for Sunday readings, but (and pardon the analogy) if you find some chocolate in a pile of dung, you don't eat it, right? No. The good is tainted by the bad that surrounds it.
How does that definition not apply to all the other authors?
For what was visible we understood, we could see understand the sayings, of the Wisdom of the invisible God. Like Jesus used the Shepherd for all knew understood, what a Shepherd was, for they were Shepherds themselves, a shepherds, his duties as a Shepherd to care for his sheep and keep them in good health, protection, a Shepherd, served his sheep, feed them, cared for them, took them to greener pastures, clean waters to drink from, if a sheep wonder on its own (like us without God, our disobedience also to our Shepherd), that sheep if it fell on its back, would die within 24 hrs, for a sheep could not roll over, back unto its own feet, the shepherd came to help once found the sheep, to roll over. Why Jesus said. What Shepherd would not leave the other 99 to find the one lost sheep? God also does not want to lose one of us, his sheep.
All knew the value of a coin, needed to exist in life, God uses the coin, to explain, when Jesus said Ones life is like a coin, of great value, double your coin, your life, do what is good, labor in life to do good, double your coin and your treasure, reward will be waiting for you . Jesus used visible symbols, His works that where visible, His sayings, so all would understand God who is invisible. Jesus carried no man made sword, Jesus sword that disturbed threaten the powers that be, was God's Word is our Sword that saves us, protects us, God's sayings.