From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Tue Dec 03 2002 - 08:57:07 EST
Excerpt from a recent post:
> Jacob is not simply regarded as a good con artist. Jacob stole his birthright
> from his older brother through cunning and his brother's failure to value it.
> Jacob is not condemned by the Lord. In fact the Lord has already predicted
> that the older will serve the younger. Isaac himself is agitated over Jacob's
> trickery but does not reassign the birthright to Esau. That suggests to me
> that cunning is favored in God's eyes.
Here's another hypothesis to consider: Human nature -- especially as it is
expressed within a zealous religious community -- is inclined toward making
unwarranted and boastful claims of divine approval (or divine instruction)
for its own lust for power and control.
When we saw that in the 9/11 episode, we were repulsed. Should we be any
less repulsed when we see it incorporated in canonical text?
Howard Van Till
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