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Post by hollygail on Sept 15, 2016 4:22:15 GMT
Welcome!!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this is a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
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Post by hollygail on Sept 15, 2016 4:23:00 GMT
This week, we’re reading Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19 in which Moses delivers specific rules about proper family relationships. He continues enumerating many laws that relate to topics of family relationships, interpersonal ethics, forbidden mixtures, and sexuality.
Summary
In continuing his last speech, Moses delivers specific rules on family relationships. "If a beautiful woman is taken captive in war, you may take her as your wife. However, you must wait a month before you take her, so that she may weep for her mother and her father. If you do not take pleasure in her, you must let her go as she wishes, and neither sell her for money, nor take advantage of her.
"If a man has two wives, one beloved and one not, and they each give him a son, then the man is not at liberty to give the rights of the first-born son to the beloved wife’s son over the other wife’s son. Rather, he must recognize the first-born, even if he is the son of the non-favored wife, by giving him a double portion of all the man’s possessions, because it is his birthright.
"If a man has a son who is disobedient and will not listen to his father and mother, then the parents shall take him to the elders of the city for judgment."
Moses continues with laws involving many aspects of daily living, justice, family responsibility, work and sexuality:
"If a murderer is killed by hanging, then you must bury him the same day.
"If you see your brother’s animals go astray and you find them, you must return the animals to your brother. If your brother is not near or you do not know the owner, then you may keep the animal until someone inquires for it and then you shall return it. You must apply this same rule to any lost items of your brother.
"If a mother bird is sitting on her eggs or is with her young ones, you must not take the mother with her young. You must set the mother free, but the young you may take for yourself.
"When you build a new house, you shall make a guardrail for your roof so no one shall fall.
"Do not sow your vineyard with mixed varieties of species.
"Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.
"Do not clothe yourself with wool and linen together. [This one is still followed by many, many Jews. The prayer shawl, for instance, is never made with wool and linen; traditional prayer shawls are usually 100% wool.]
"Make yourself twisted threads on the four corners of your garment." [For the most part, it is only on the four corners of the prayer shawl that these specific fringes are found. Among some more Observant Jews, there is one undergarment, similar to a t-shirt that isn’t sewn all the way to the bottom of the side seams, that has the fringes attached to each of the four corners.]
The specific laws pertaining to sexuality include promoting sexual innocence before marriage and stern commandments against adultery, rape, and incest:
"Keep away from every evil thing. Keep close guard to what is clean and what is unclean.
"You must not return a slave who has taken refuge with you from his master.
"There shall be no lewdness among the men and women of Israel.
"You shall not pay your brother any interest, be it interest in money or food, or anything that could be considered interest. You may pay interest to the stranger.
"Keep your promises.
"You may eat of your neighbor’s grapes but you may not carry the grapes with you.
"There are laws regarding the way a man can divorce his wife.
"When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out into the army but shall remain free in his home for one year with his wife.
"If a man steals from his brother, the thief shall die.
"When collecting a debt, you shall do so in a righteous way.
"Do not withhold anything from a day laborer who is poor or a stranger. Pay him his rightful wages before sundown. Let him not cry out to God against you, for that sin would cling to you.
"Parents shall not be put to death on account of their children, nor children be put to death on account of their parents.
"You shall not twist justice for the orphans, widows or strangers. Leave some remains of your crops in the field for them, too.
"If there is a dispute between men, then they shall come before the court to be judged. The righteous shall be justified and the guilty condemned with strict guidelines.
"A brother-in-law shall marry the childless widow of his brother. If they have a child, it will carry the name of the dead brother so his name shall live on. If the man does not want to take his sister-in-law, she shall go to elders, who will confirm this fact, and the legacy of this rejection shall remain part of his name. [Think Tamar in Genesis whose first husband died, and his next younger brother, Onan, married her, but died when he chose not to impregnate her; her father-in-law said he’d send his third son to her as soon as the boy was old enough to marry, but he didn’t, and so she took matters into her own hands; another example: Ruth in the Book of Ruth]
"All your weights and measurements shall be truthful.”
…
Q/qs:
(1) The Israelites are told to keep their promises. What is so important about keeping promises? When someone makes you a promise and doesn’t keep it, how do you feel? Are there promises you have not kept? Can you find a way to keep them now?
(2) Why are we told not to mix varieties of species in planting, nor wear clothing of different materials, nor even plow at the same time with two different kinds of animals? Is there something wrong with mixing "differences?"
(3) Any additional comments you may have?
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Post by glrogers67 on Sept 15, 2016 18:36:06 GMT
The Law of Moses is the basis for much of the civil and criminal laws of society today. He had to be very specific because the people at the time (and perhaps today?) were so rebellious that they had to be given the letter of the law instead of teaching correct principles and allowing the people to govern themselves by following the spirit of the law.
As for today's q/qs keeping promises is very important. It is the basis of trust. If someone makes a promise to me and doesn't keep it my trust in that person is eroded. My marriage is a testament to promises made and not kept (on both sides). Yes, I have made promises I have not kept, and yes there are things I can do to keep them now, and as I have said before I am a work in progress.
I am not sure why the admonition not to mix species, different types of animals, or cloth was given. Perhaps cross-contamination might have been one of the reasons. I don't see much of that being practiced today. Casseroles mix all kinds of ingredients. We hear about new combinations of food all the time. I saw a weird combination when I was folding clothes in the fitting room the other day. It was a jean jacket with sweat shirt sleeves.
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