Monday, January 24, 2011

The Cold Facts

Seems to me that the cold facts of the story available to the writer, are that Abraham and Isaac went up the mountain and came back down.
There is no good reason outside the story why we ought to believe that God communicated anything to Abraham in a manner different to how any religious person may feel that he is being communicated with by God.
Seems to me that the story is a bit circular, in that it is proposed that Abraham is hearing God's WILL more clearly because he has such faith, yet the story concerns God testing Abraham's faith.
Matt's idea that God can will the resurrection of anyone he chooses seems to make a mockery of the whole idea of Jesus death.
Are the Gospels telling the story to believers who understand God's plan through the exact same story?
Point is that minimizing the killing part, the death part of the Abraham story seems to be special pleading for the Abraham story and ONLY the Abraham story if your not willing to minimize the killing of Jesus in THAT story.
All I'm trying to say here is that shifting emphasis using rhetoric 'a la' Matt here, can have untended consequences for other stories.
If we're going to make a parallel between Isaac and Jesus, we could easily make an unflattering parallel between God hardening the Pharoah's heart and God presumably ignoring the faithful prayers of the Sanhedrin requesting their God's Will??
Can we assume that the Sanhedrin believed in God?Can we assume that the Sanhedrin believed that they were faithful to God and were exacting God's Will?
Then there must be different kinds of faith then?
Or I'm missing something extremely subtle.

6 comments:

mac said...

"By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." Hebrew 11:17-19

The parrelels between Isaac and Jesus are remarkable - Isaac was Abraham's only son, Jesus was YHWH's only son. Both were to be sacrificed for the good of others. Both were to be resurrected.


But, but...but, Jesus is the only one that ever resurrected??? Nope again it seems. We bring people back from the dead regularly these days.
Maybe one of the disciple knew CPR ?

mac said...

AND,
What is going to happen if they ever get cryogenics operating well?

Yeah, we're going to have a shit pot full of Jesuses (Jesi?) running around !

verymissmary@aol.com said...

Dude, you seriously need to get laid.

verymissmary said...

I regret the previous comment I left, and truly do apologize. I actually didn't intend for it to be mean. It was very bad shorthand for something else, and I really will be more thoughtful next time.
I think The Cold Facts post is most interesting, and I have enjoyed drashing on the story of Abe and Iz for years. I would like to leave a much more intelligent and thoughtful reply, worthy of the time and energy you put into your post. I'm digging deep for the energy, as I was disturbed by a police van backing up the length of the street with the loud BEEP beep BEEP beep warning sound that accompanies such backing up, followed and an hour later by a 4 alarm fire below the window.
I think it's me who needs to get...?
Sincerest apologies, and I do hope you'll read some of my better, earlier writing on my petit blog.
Maybe some will appeal, putting the last post into context. Who knows?
With humility,
MK

Anonymous said...

Mac Please do let us know when someone is revived via CPR after 3 days. Actually, let us know when someone "these days" is brought back to life after 3 days by any manner.
Cryogenics - you are watching too much tv and movies.

pboyfloyd said...

Was 100% sure that I accepted your apology vermissmary.

Can't seem to find it, so here it is again.. I accept your apology.