What if I wanted to adopt the values of the ancient Babylonians, or the ancient Romans? What if I wanted to go back to the way they lived in ancient Mongolia? These people have gone and passed. Their world and their perspective was radically different from our own. Even if I could somehow go back to understanding the world the way they did (which I highly doubt), how could I possibly live my life this way and not clash with the society I was born into? So why are the ancient Hebrew different? Why do people think they can adopt their values and outlook and not become anachronistic themselves? Interesting point - if I want to live like that, why not? Byt what about people who demand society returns to older forms?
Religion & Spirituality - 14 Answers
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1 :
They cannot
2 :
i dunno, i find it quite fun to relive the neanderthalian ways of amazing Skeks, but thats just me i guess. hit it 'n quit it...with your club....
3 :
You would not be insane but actually Wise. I should mention that the basis of the vast majority of moral code of the Western world (particularly here in Europe) is not Hebrew but rather is Platonic. Also the Hebrew moral code itself can be challenged regarding its origin, for example the Negative Confession to Ma'at in Chapter 125 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead includes an ethical code which bears striking (if not identical) similarity to the Laws of the Torah, which it more than likely predates. To experience life as the ancients did is virtually impossible in the society which the West embodies though through study and the application of intellect (and also initiation into an authentic Tradition) one can arrive at an ethical understanding very similar. Though I would suggest that, rather than performing Necromancy on these long gone cultures, one takes all that one can learn from them while acknowledging the process of spiritual evolution which posits that overtime symbols change. Consider not the Old Age but rather bring about the New Aeon.
4 :
You can try to live the way they did, but it might be difficult. Think of the amish. They live in a way that would see to clash with society, but society has made room for them. They can ride their horse-drawn carts right into town. They live without running water, or electricity, computers, or anything we take for grantid. So - if they can live like that - why can't you live like a roman? And it harm none, do what you will. And so what if people think you are insane - you are happy. Isn't that what matters?
5 :
seems to me that many people now days are doing just that. "lets reinvent the gods all the myths of the ages celebrate symbols from deep elder forests"
6 :
YES BVECAUSE JESUS SPOKE HEBREW AND JESUS IS MY FATHER AND SPIRITUAL GUJIDE
7 :
Frankly, we should be clashing with our society. There is still too much injustice; too much wanton destruction
8 :
Adopt the values of the ancient Roman citizens or better yet Babylonian. Go ahead. What would those be? Infant sacrifice, selling ones children into temple service in exchange for a swine, slaughtering swine, sacrificing the entrails and blood and then feasting on the meat? Eating every creature that has life? Including ones that purvey decease? Kidnapping, looting and pillaging other neighboring clans, tribes and villages and enslaving the ones that you leave alive? How about rampant incest, bestiality, perverse sex acts, prostitution, drunken orgies, moratoriums, blood sport, no cival, human or womens rights, Cesarean practice as a rule of law, genital mutilation, beheadings, amputation for crimes and crucifixtion. Torture at the will of the ruling factor. Then of course there was the complete and utter lack of sanitation, social welfare, medical hypocratics, preservation of the masses during chatostophic events and little or no stranger compassion. What changed all of this? The Abrahamic faith systems of the first five books of the Bible and the noble laws as established by the Masoric texts. Moses and the 10 Commandments as written by God. All those levitical laws? They were revolutionary and benchmark laws during that time and existed no where else in any society. Even up until the 14th century there were still civilizations that went unchanged from ancient times dispite their achievements elsewhere, the Aztecs and Mayans for example, that corrupted themselves right out of existance because they had no moral code. As society turns back to the secular humanistic ideas and approach, life will begin to, once again, as it already has in some parts of the world, lose its meaning and eugenics, a socialist elitist class system and atheistic agenda will take place and the only thing standing between a person and their choices will be fear as a deterant to crime. These laws aren't obsolete. As they give way to the human standard which was established by these laws then you will see a moral decay in the fabric of human existance that will never be mended again. We will simply bring about our own demise. Until then you might want to hope that you are in the upper two thirds precentile cuz anything under that will be wiped out by plague, war, famine and pestalance and no one is coming to your rescue if you don't meet some sort of criteria by birth, gender, age, location and financial status. The Law brings life...choose life. Love in Christ, ~J~
9 :
Hebrew-wannabes ARE different?! 0_o I never would have guessed. I call them insane too. Anyways, I think by making their deity a martyr they blackmail people into feeling their beliefs are pure and enlightened. BREAKING NEWS: Just because someone died in a horrible, heart-breaking way, does NOT mean we should listen to an organization that uses his death as a banner. *rant over* I really just wish people would understand that "do what you want as long as it doesn't harm anybody" is not that bad of a policy. Oh well. -bf jb nn
10 :
Your examples are particularly ironic given that much of the morality of Torah is based on the older code of Hammurabi, who was the first Babylonian Emperor and the one who brought much of Mesopotamia under Babylonian control. He predates Moses by ~300 years. Meanwhile, Roman influence is ALL OVER the Christian canon. And that extends to the Christian reading of Hebrew scriptures, which is drastically different from Jewish understanding. You're also ignoring the ways which Judaism has developed to keep itself relevant. Judaism starts with a code of conduct that was prevalent in its region and that was the first to say "These are the basic rules of living together", and has found its own way to update them, one which also honours, respects and remembers the past. What's so wrong with that?
11 :
In some ways, I agree with you - we can see many religions from thousands of years ago bringing archaic concepts into modern life. Jewish, Christian, and Islam, and if I knew more about other world religions I'd bet they do the same. Living like ancient Hebrews would not make sense, but neither would living like medieval Christians or Muslims. Where I disagree is that at least in Judaism and Christianity, the religions I know most about, the modern-day forms of the religions have tried to abandon the anachronistic. We don't sacrifice animals. We treat women as equals outside our place of worship and, in most traditions, within our place of worship. We don't have slaves or extra wives or stone anyone. I'd like to think we've distilled the useful morals out of the bible, kept them, and tossed what doesn't make sense today. We understand the world in a different way, yet some things, like the golden rule, are timeless.
12 :
Here's a different angle - The Jewish people have survived BECAUSE of their morals, not in spite of them. ------------------------------ Ben - I hear you, but last time I checked, when you turn 360 degrees you return to the same direction
13 :
Yes, that's what I would call you by. I think that the ancient Hebrews were different because of the singularity of the method of morals they developed which was almost a 360 degrees turn from the other peoples of the time. Today the difference is not so salient because of the notable Western adoption of Jewish moral values.
14 :
I have learnt an important lesson in life; its good to have morals and individualistic beliefs but if you go over-the-top and start obsessing with attaining perfection this will create a lot of anxiety and pain. Balance is very important in life. Although its good to have standards and certain morals you must learn to realize that in order to enjoy life fully you need a balance between doing things because you love them and values. If you do adopt a different ancient code of values you may be excluded but as long as you remain balanced I think its okay and if its something you love.
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