Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2005, at 8:07:21
In reply to Re: the original question, posted by SLS on March 16, 2005, at 6:11:45
To me, the faith board rules seem pretty simple. You aren't allowed to claim exlusivity. So you can't say there is only one God, or only one right path to God, only one right religion. You are allowed to say that you believe in God, but restating a statement that there is only one right way to believe as a belief is not sufficient.
You can say that for me and my people this is what we believe WE need to do, but you can't say that for me and my people this is what we believe *everyone* has to do.
This may require that certain aspects of a person's faith shouldn't be expressed on the Faith board.
It's the exclusivity that is the problem area.
As regards "chosen people", I think it would be against Faith board rules to say we are *the* (only) Chosen People. But my understanding of the concept is that the concept does not necessarily mean that. (Perhaps it does for some or even many Jews; consensus is rare in any faith.) But the concept as I've read it is that the Abraham and his descendents were chosen by God to enter into a specific covenant with Him that required various specific responsibilities on the part of the people and various promises on the part of God. It does not necessarily follow that they believe that they are the only chosen people or that God did not make other specific or general covenants with other people and or peoples. I've read lovely writings on the subject where Judaism is described as a communal covenant with God while Christianity involves individual personal covenants with God. So "Chosen" doesn't imply superiority. It is referring to a specific covenental relationship and thus does not put down other faiths. Unless it is used in context in a way that does.
That's my understanding, and perhaps Dr. Bob could comment on the faith board aspects, and Jews could comment on the "Chosen People" aspect.
poster:Dinah
thread:470029
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20050219/msgs/471599.html