Post: Week 2

Merriman - Week 2

Merriman - Week 2

by Mary Merriman -
Number of replies: 3

 

     Like many people, I have been given a plaque of the Ten Commandments as a gift that hung in my office reminding all of us of the responsibility that we hold to obey these laws with precision while understanding grace when we fail in our responsibilities.  It’s interesting to think of this as a very limited understanding of our faith and that our application of the laws lack the same constructs as we see in the Collins readings. Three examples are offered.  In those early years of the Decalogue, the law to worship only YHWH was conducted in the context of a world of many gods.  In our world today, we tend to understand this to mean the worship of gods of our own creation be that is the god of money or greed.  In the Book of the Covenant, beating a pregnant woman and causing a miscarriage was viewed as an abortion. Today that law is mistranslated to prohibit the decision of a woman or man in terminating their pregnancy.  The Priestly and Holiness Codes were given to regulate the practice of sacrifice of animals which we don’t typically sacrifice today. Ultimately, the laws as we live them today are useful but a fuller understanding of the codes lead to a deeper faith practice for all of us.

In reply to Mary Merriman

Re: Merriman - Week 2

by Caroline Bashore -

Mary - I found your post interesting in that you pointed out how in modern times we often configure the laws to fit into our own lives and they aren't typically the meaning that they had when they were written. What stood out to me also was the Book of the Covenant law on injuring a pregnant woman while fighting and causing a miscarriage. I think that it is intriguing that this law is used to prohibit abortion when what I read into it is a law against abuse, more specifically spousal abuse. I wonder how much of my and others social location goes into the interpretation of these law either abortion or abuse. In my post, I also mentioned the little use that I have for the Holiness Code since they are regulations of sacrifices. However, after taking time to learn more about the sacrifices and why they were obeyed, I have found that the symbolic meanings behind some of them could be quite useful in our Christian faith practices. But as Collins puts it, "rituals are only effective when they give expression to genuine human intentions." (94)

In reply to Caroline Bashore

Re: Merriman - Week 2

by Julia O'Brien -

Caroline, this was a great reply. I do wonder, though, if you think ritual can be valuable despite our intentions. I don't mean that in a magical way, but in terms of how undertaking practices even when we don't feel like it can shape our thoughts (and bodies). Do feelings ever follow actions?

In reply to Mary Merriman

Re: Merriman - Week 2

by Julia O'Brien -

Mary, these are interesting observations about how all of these laws (including the Decalogue) reflect cultural assumptions and social realities quite different from our own. To universalize them and make them applicable to us, we (usually unconsciously) ignore much of what they actually say.