Is it wrong to kill your child because a religious voice tells you to? Why? I ask. Why are we horrified at the sacrifice of a three month old by his parents when our own religion exalts the story of Abraham and his intended sacrifice of his son only because God had asked it of him? Granted that Abraham was saved by the same God who wanted to test his faith and was asked by him to kill an animal instead! Phew!! what relief he must have felt at the time not to mention the feelings of the son. But why is it that such a horrible story has such great meaning and the actual act of another a tragedy and the acts of a mad man?
There is something wrong, there has to be otherwise why the same events are interpreted so differently. One can argue and rightly so that this lowly laborer was no pious Abraham that prophet of all prophets the great patriarch, but the argument would be a weak one. Abraham had begged God to grant him a child and his wife (mistress) Sarah had Ishmael when she was almost 90 (eat your hearts out women) and he almost 125!!!! but all the more reason for him to hesitate to succumb to this demand of God. But what does he do? He takes a journey of some three days with his son and a slave to the mount and there he climbs with a sharp knife to kill his son!! All this while only he knows of his intention, he deceives his wife, his son and his very close slave! One can imagine that he thought of nothing else but killing his son on that three day ride and can only shudder at his thoughts.
One can say that Abraham knew that God would never actually expect him to go through with it and he was well aware that the same God will save him somehow, but he had no exact and definite way of knowing it for sure, one can also point out that it was the faith and belief in the god that was being tested and the whole business of sacrifice was just a side show, but the fact remains ... what sort of a God asks of this kind of Sacrifice. It smacks too much of primeval rituals to appease the wrath of Gods and save the ones who are left alive and has little to do with faith. Why then are we angry at this guy for killing his child in the name of God?
Does this mean that our concept morality ie right and wrong are so far removed from our religion that we profess to believe some acts as good but know deep down that they are actually not only wrong but out right evil. We cling to faith simply because it is said so and is so but we know that some things that it says are right are diametrically opposite to what we think is good!
Why don't we think on these matters or am I touching a raw nerve?
If there were an Abraham in this day and age and he acts in accordance with the wishes of his God what would be our reaction?
There is something wrong, there has to be otherwise why the same events are interpreted so differently. One can argue and rightly so that this lowly laborer was no pious Abraham that prophet of all prophets the great patriarch, but the argument would be a weak one. Abraham had begged God to grant him a child and his wife (mistress) Sarah had Ishmael when she was almost 90 (eat your hearts out women) and he almost 125!!!! but all the more reason for him to hesitate to succumb to this demand of God. But what does he do? He takes a journey of some three days with his son and a slave to the mount and there he climbs with a sharp knife to kill his son!! All this while only he knows of his intention, he deceives his wife, his son and his very close slave! One can imagine that he thought of nothing else but killing his son on that three day ride and can only shudder at his thoughts.
One can say that Abraham knew that God would never actually expect him to go through with it and he was well aware that the same God will save him somehow, but he had no exact and definite way of knowing it for sure, one can also point out that it was the faith and belief in the god that was being tested and the whole business of sacrifice was just a side show, but the fact remains ... what sort of a God asks of this kind of Sacrifice. It smacks too much of primeval rituals to appease the wrath of Gods and save the ones who are left alive and has little to do with faith. Why then are we angry at this guy for killing his child in the name of God?
Does this mean that our concept morality ie right and wrong are so far removed from our religion that we profess to believe some acts as good but know deep down that they are actually not only wrong but out right evil. We cling to faith simply because it is said so and is so but we know that some things that it says are right are diametrically opposite to what we think is good!
Why don't we think on these matters or am I touching a raw nerve?
If there were an Abraham in this day and age and he acts in accordance with the wishes of his God what would be our reaction?
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