Those are good questions. I don't believe that I have posted that there is a right or a wrong. I do not think that Christianity is wrong or that Judaism is right or vice versa.
I believe firmly that racism and hatred of one's fellow man is wrong and that anything that purports to justify that is man-made belief made to look like some sort of divine proclamation.
I don't necessarily believe that something written 250 years ago is better than something written 2000 or 5000 years ago. However, one should go back and see the writings in context and what is happening at the time of the writings.
Just as slavery is abhorrent as a thought today, US leaders and people who were considered "good" had slaves. These were people who were blessed by others and by their priests and ministers as leaders. Their very words were worshipped by others. They are not and were not "bad" people.
You are right that a Constitution can be written to include racist beliefs. I was merely stating the current law with respect to the First Amendment and that is that the First Amendment does not protect conduct that has been proscribed for non-religious reasons, usually mala in se, rather than malum prohibitum.
As for reformation of ideas and roots - I also believe in roots and my beliefs have roots in what my family believed and culture and historical roots. Yet, I prefer to mold my beliefs as I listen and learn. I tend to be more reform than traditional, although I respect traditions.
For example, I respect my friends who keep Kosher. I don't particularly see any reason for doing this but I respect and honor them. I respect my friends who devoutly attend mass each and every Sunday.
For me, if I were writing a set of biblical food rules, I'd make it wrong to use growth hormones and artificial pesticides. I suspect that those who wrote the rules back in those days had some sort of medical sign (someone got sick eating pork for example) and then added some sort of religious proclamation to make it look as if it came from on high.
I am not looking down on this or calling it "wrong." One could come up with so many other examples throughout Christianity or any religion. ALthough I do not practice these ricutals, I respect others who do. On the other hand, if the practice involved killing someone else, or stealing something, or raping someone, etc., then that would be a crime, not protected or condoned by any civilized society.
I can't respect racism and hatred directed at others, particularly when directed at a group, just because that group thinks of the divine in a different way. |
