tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640358.post116361796826389630..comments2023-10-31T06:25:46.016-04:00Comments on SLANTblog: Missing absolutesF.T. Reahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02042465274190082050noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5640358.post-1163620347947057932006-11-15T14:52:00.000-05:002006-11-15T14:52:00.000-05:00I am a social studies teacher who has taught a cou...I am a social studies teacher who has taught a course in comparative religion in a public high school, and who also notes that one cannot teach World History (which I did once)without also talking about World religions. In fact, one can argue that without some basic understanding one is quite ignorant.<BR/><BR/>On the issue of Ten Commandments, I am often amused. First, the Jewish division of the more commonly cited text (there are actually two version in different places in the Tora) divides things quite different than either the Protestant or Catholic versions do - oh, dear reader, you were not aware than even in Christianity there is not uniformity of agreement as to the structure of something so 'basic'? And that does not even get into the question of translation into English. Thus the Hebrew has NO "thou shalt not" or equivalent. It merely states in such case "no". Thus the instruction about taking of human life, if accurately tranlated from the Hebrew would read simply "no murder." Obviously the deity of the Jewish Bible did not oppose all taking of human life, given that some of the commandments (amont the 613 that have been listed) are specifically requirements of putting people to death, including, incidently, disrepectful children! <BR/><BR/>Ethics has always been one of the problematic areas of human governance. Where I would disagree is the idea of mandating teaching of an ethical standard that the elected leaders of this nation and the various states and localities were not willing to abide by themselves. Not lying? Gee, how did we get into Iraq, and what is the content of much of our political discourse?<BR/><BR/>Just some random thoughts at the end of a school day, spent in Maryland although I live in Virginia.teacherkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02225551101423123044noreply@blogger.com