In Reply to: preachings of paul posted by porceleindoll on July 06, 2003 at 19:16:37:
one thing that has helped me a great deal in looking at the bible is to remember that , tho it is inspired by God, and i believe the canon of scripture is ordained of God, it is not meant to be read as a document directly dictated by God, with the exception of those few portions that are direct prophecy. paul asking for his cloak, or some scrolls to be brought have no immediate bearing on our lives for example. it puts his writings in a specific context, and makes clear certain aspects are specific to his human, earthly circumstances. some of his teachings that have been rashly applied as tools to subjugate women, for example, were specific to the circumstances, etc. large portions of the contemporary church recognize and practice this. (btw, the actions of Jesus recorded in the gospels are replete w/ tradition shattering, and woman honoring acts.)
taking the actions of the ot people of the jews and extrapolating these into timeless biblical truths is unjustified. only in the narrow context of the tribal societies of the day can such passages be understood, and then only in the light of God's further unfolding of the plan in the later prophets, and especially in the light of his most perfect "revelation" , his son Jesus. ("if ye had known me, ye should have known my father also"..etc) even w/ that, i will admit i still have some questions to ask about a few verses!
but to get a genuine sense of it all, keeping "the big picture" in mind is essential. you mention that there is much about Jesus you like. personally, i find focusing right in on that, the amazing person of Jesus, and the message of his death on the cross, and the hope it offers to a weakling such as myself, (if the 'middle way' is the hope of enlightnment, i've definitely got quite a few more reincarnations to go thru yet!) well, to me it is not only "good news"... but the ONLY news. i guess you could say it works for me. and for all who really catch a glimpse of his amazingness, and invitation.
so, what works for you? is there a specific school of buddhist practice that attracts you? a text of confucianism you believe in and follow? and if so, would you mind sharing why it rings true w/ you? i would be genuinely interested.
namaste.