311,1
Several volumes could be written about Christian ethics; indeed, many have been written in an effort to determine the content of Christian ethics. These are numerous disagreements among Christians scholars in this area. For example, the doctrine of original sin is a venerable Christian belief that enjoys widespread acceptance even today, and it is definitely contained in the New Testament. But it is a teaching of Paul, not Jesus. Some liberal theologians, therefore, reject it as an essential element of Christian ethics, claiming that Paul, like any interpreter, may have been mistaken. More traditional Christians, on the other hand, maintain that anything in the New Testament, whether uttered by Jesus, Paul or some other apostle, must be accepted as essential to Christianity-and this includes the doctrine of original sin.
311,2
Although I find the position of the modern liberal on this issue-as in many others-rather ludicrous, I will avoid this controversy for the remainder of this chapter. Rather than treat the New Testament as a whole, I shall confine this discussion to the ethics of Jesus as reported in the Gospels. While it is generally true that Paul emphasizes sin and human depravity much more than Jesus, and while it is probably true that Paul was more influential than Jesus in many areas, I think it is also true that the teachings of Jesus are not as benevolent as is commonly supposed. Even restricting ourselves to Jesus, it is possible to substantiate the charges against Christian ethics made earlier in this chapter.
III
The Ethics of Jesus
It is fashionable today to hail Jesus as an outstanding moralist. Even atheists who disagree with theoretical aspects of Christianity often regard Jesus as a creative reformer in the sphere of ethics. In evaluating his ethics, however, there are considerable problems in ascertaining what the historical Jesus actually taught. It is clear that the early Christians were expecting his imminent return, and they saw no reason to compile written accounts of his life for future generations. But as time passed , as the memory of Jesus dimmed, and as disillusionment spread, it became necessary to preserve the faith through written stories of Jesus' life-stories that "documented " his miraculous powers in an effort to distinguish him from the many others "messiahs" common in those days.
Several volumes could be written about Christian ethics; indeed, many have been written in an effort to determine the content of Christian ethics. These are numerous disagreements among Christians scholars in this area. For example, the doctrine of original sin is a venerable Christian belief that enjoys widespread acceptance even today, and it is definitely contained in the New Testament. But it is a teaching of Paul, not Jesus. Some liberal theologians, therefore, reject it as an essential element of Christian ethics, claiming that Paul, like any interpreter, may have been mistaken. More traditional Christians, on the other hand, maintain that anything in the New Testament, whether uttered by Jesus, Paul or some other apostle, must be accepted as essential to Christianity-and this includes the doctrine of original sin.
311,2
Although I find the position of the modern liberal on this issue-as in many others-rather ludicrous, I will avoid this controversy for the remainder of this chapter. Rather than treat the New Testament as a whole, I shall confine this discussion to the ethics of Jesus as reported in the Gospels. While it is generally true that Paul emphasizes sin and human depravity much more than Jesus, and while it is probably true that Paul was more influential than Jesus in many areas, I think it is also true that the teachings of Jesus are not as benevolent as is commonly supposed. Even restricting ourselves to Jesus, it is possible to substantiate the charges against Christian ethics made earlier in this chapter.
III
The Ethics of Jesus
It is fashionable today to hail Jesus as an outstanding moralist. Even atheists who disagree with theoretical aspects of Christianity often regard Jesus as a creative reformer in the sphere of ethics. In evaluating his ethics, however, there are considerable problems in ascertaining what the historical Jesus actually taught. It is clear that the early Christians were expecting his imminent return, and they saw no reason to compile written accounts of his life for future generations. But as time passed , as the memory of Jesus dimmed, and as disillusionment spread, it became necessary to preserve the faith through written stories of Jesus' life-stories that "documented " his miraculous powers in an effort to distinguish him from the many others "messiahs" common in those days.
311,1
قد يتم كتابة عدة مجلدات عن أخلاق المسيحية؛ في الحقيقة، الكثير كتبوا في محاولة لاقرار محتوى الأخلاق المسيحية. هناك اختلافات عديدة بين علماء المسيحيه في هذا المجال . على سبيل المثال، مذهب اصل الخطيئة يعتبر الاعتقاد الموقر للمسيحية و يتمتّع بالقبول الواسع الإنتشار حتي هذا اليوم، وهو يحتوى بالتأكيد في العهد الجديد. لكنّه تعليم بول، ليس السيد المسيح. بعض علماء الدين اليبراليين، لذا، يرفضونه كعنصر ضروري من الأخلاق المسيحية، يدّعون بأنّ بول، مثل أيّ مفسر ، لربما أخطأ فيه. المسيحيون ألاكثر تقليديين ، من الناحية الأخرى، يزعمون بأنّ أيّ شئ في العهد الجديد، سواء نطقت من قبل السيد المسيح، بول أو بقية الرسل ، يجب أن تقبل كضروري إلى المسيحية وهذا يتضمّن مذهب أصل الخطيئة .
311,2
بالرغم من أنّني أجد موقف الليبراليين المعاصريين في هذه المسالة- كما في العديد الاخرين - من السخفاء بالأحرى، أنا سأتفادى هذا الخلاف لبقيّة هذا الفصل. بدلا من معالجة العهد الجديد ككل، أنا سأحصر هذه المناقشة في أخلاق السيد المسيح كما هو منشور في الإنجيل. بالرغم من أن في الحقيقة عموما يؤكّد بول فساد إلانسان والخطيئة أكثر من السيد المسيح، ومن المحتمل يعتبر حقيقة بأن بول كان أكثر تأثيرا من السيد المسيح في العديد من المجالات، أعتقد ايضا يعتبر حقيقية بأن تعليمات السيد المسيح لم تكن الافضل بشكل عام . حتي قيدنا أنفسنا للسيد المسيح، يكون من الممكن اثبات التهم ضدّ الأخلاق المسيحية جعلت في وقت سابق في هذا الفصل.
III
أخلاق السيد المسيح
يعتبر عصريا اليوم للترحيب بالسيد المسيح كفيلسوف أخلاقي بارز. حتي الملحدون الذين يختلفون مع السمات النظرية من المسيحية في أغلب الأحيان يعتبرون السيد المسيح كمصلح مبدع في مجال الأخلاق. في تقييم أخلاقه، على أية حال، هناك مشاكل كبيرة في التحقق ما ذا السيد المسيح التأريخي علّم في الحقيقة. من الواضح أنّ المسحيّين الأوائل كانوا يتوقّعون عودته الوشيكة، وهم لم يروا أي سبب لجمع الحسابات المكتوبة من حياته للأجيال القادمة. لكن بمرور الوقت، وخفتت ذكري السيد المسيح ، وبينما انتشر إلاسترشاد، أصبح ضروريا لإبقاء الإيمان خلال القصص المكتوبة من قصص حياة السيد المسيح التي "وثّقت" سلطاته الإعجوبية في محاولة لكي يتم تميّزه من بين العديد الاخرين من "مسيح المنتظر" المشاعة في تلك الأيام.
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