the good of the Abrahamic religions

[Jayhawker Soule]

It seems to me that this OP pretty much demands generalizations either way. Even leaving it alone is tacit endorsement.

What would I be tacitly endorsing?

 

[Brickjectivity]

The very good of the Abrahamic religions is this:

It is no human sacrifice. In the past many pegan religons sacrified humans to their gods. Judaism, christianity and islam is totaly against this

I think it is two concepts: forgiveness of wrongs and that people have a value independent of their contribution to society.

Also when in his story Abraham is told to offer his son Isaac but the command is withdrawn it is not an endorsement of human sacrifice but the opposite of such endorsement. Secondly it shows us that the Lord can deceive, which is an important lesson. Prophets also can deceive, and there are examples of it, but this tops them all. The Jewish scriptures have examples of unscrupulous spiritualists, but this also is worse. Even the good prophets lie sometimes, so this event with Isaac is important. In a similar situation any person must not make that sacrifice. They must disobey an order, so that they may do what is right. Doesn't matter if an angel tells them to do it or the Lord tells them to. What's good is good, no matter what anyone says. This is a lesson that gets hammered home more than one way, but the story of Isaac and Abraham is a great opener.

So why does Abraham follow the order? He believes the Lord. Why? That is a secret, but obviously he would have sinned had he succeeded in slaying Isaac. The command to kill Isaac was a false command which was rescinded. Not only would he have sinned, but he would have destroyed the entire cool story of his life. The promise to Abraham would have been a confusing mire.

 

[LuisDantas]

What would I be tacitly endorsing?

The prejudgement - or prejudice - that Abrahamic creeds are inherently and implicitly beneficial.

 

[Secret Chief]

I can't say that I'm too impressed with eating body parts.

Must...not...post...

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The prejudgement - or prejudice - that Abrahamic creeds are inherently and implicitly beneficial.

What I seem to detect is the prejudgement - or prejudice - that Abrahamic creeds are inherently and implicitly detrimental.

 

[Ebionite]

Also, didn't God tell Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac?

According to the book of Jasher it was due to sibling rivalry.

And Ishmael boasted of himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to my father, and I gave my soul unto the Lord, and I did not transgress his word which he commanded my father.
And Isaac answered Ishmael, saying, Why dost thou boast to me about this, about a little bit of thy flesh which thou didst take from thy body, concerning which the Lord commanded thee?
As the Lord liveth, the God of my father Abraham, if the Lord should say unto my father, Take now thy son Isaac and bring him up an offering before me, I would not refrain but I would joyfully accede to it.
And the Lord heard the word that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of the Lord, and he thought to try Abraham in this matter.
Jasher 22:42-45

 

[Ebionite]

Nowhere in Christian scriptures does it say that people should make human sacrifices

Except for Caiaphas.

And one of them, [named] Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
John 11:49-50

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

According to the book of Jasher it was due to sibling rivalry.

Where might we be able to read that book?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

The very good of the Abrahamic religions is this:

It is no human sacrifice. In the past many pegan religons sacrified humans to their gods. Judaism, christianity and islam is totaly against this

Yes, no blood sacrifice at all is a big plus to me.

Another is the the equality of all people before God, as well as God's care for the lowly. This comes from Genesis and humanity being made in the image of God, deserving all due dignity. Christianity then spread this notion globally, giving a voice to all the left behind people - slaves, women, social outcasts, the ill and inform. This is a revolutionary teaching that was totally new to the ancient world.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Is it in any way, shape or form prejudice to point out that the defining moment of the relationship between Abraham and his God is the testing of Abraham by request of the sacrifice of his son?

Or that the high point of Jesus' tale is his actual if presumably temporary death, which is usually presented as a voluntary sacrifice on behalf of humanity?

The prejudice is in interpreting those stories as a call on a religion’s adherents to practice human sacrifice.

And also in consciously adopting the most negative interpretation of a text possible, in order to condemn or reject a message one has made no effort to understand or consider impartially.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I would as well. However, the statement was ...

Which would suggest that any religion that is not Abrahamic would be/has been tolerant of human sacrifice.

I also offered an example in my first reply that the statement wasn't accurate.

To be perfectly clear, I am in no way criticizing Abrahamic religions. I'm criticizing the statement in the OP.

 

[SalixIncendium]

According to the book of Jasher it was due to sibling rivalry.

And Ishmael boasted of himself to Isaac, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spoke to my father to circumcise us, and I did according to the word of the Lord which he spoke to my father, and I gave my soul unto the Lord, and I did not transgress his word which he commanded my father.
And Isaac answered Ishmael, saying, Why dost thou boast to me about this, about a little bit of thy flesh which thou didst take from thy body, concerning which the Lord commanded thee?
As the Lord liveth, the God of my father Abraham, if the Lord should say unto my father, Take now thy son Isaac and bring him up an offering before me, I would not refrain but I would joyfully accede to it.
And the Lord heard the word that Isaac spoke to Ishmael, and it seemed good in the sight of the Lord, and he thought to try Abraham in this matter.
Jasher 22:42-45

Regardless of the reason, it was still done.

 

[SalixIncendium]

I'm not a big fan of gross generalizations or religion bashing.

Isn't this exactly what the OP did?

I don't understand why you're so determined to support the statement? Save maybe one or two that took the OP as an opportunity to bash Christianity, there was no "religion bashing" outside of the OP. Certainly not by me.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Isn't this exactly what the OP did?

No.

The OP states:

The very good of the Abrahamic religions is this:

It is no human sacrifice. In the past many pegan religons sacrified humans to their gods. Judaism, christianity and islam is totaly against this

Which sentence do you find so objectionable?

I don't understand why you're so determined to support the statement?

OK.

Parenthetically, some sixteen years ago I wrote: "The Akedah is a masterful folkloric narrative that served, not to condone human sacrifice, but to justify the transition away from it." I remain reasonably comfortable with that statement.

 

[PureX]

The real 'gift' passed onto us from the Abrahamic religions is the idea that there is one God, that it is inexplicable, and that it is something we humans have to live with every day. That this God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. so we cannot hide from it and we cannot make deals with it (although many still try).

And the reason this is a general benefit is because it challenges us in all aspects of our lives, and at all times. It challenges us ethically and morally and it forces us to be humbled. As God is God and we are clearly not.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Which sentence do you find so objectionable?

The entire second line. It implies that human sacrifice is still condoned outside of Abrahamic religions. The sentence "in the past many pegan[sic] religons[sic] sacrified[sic] humans to their gods" was entirely irrelevant to the point that Abrahamic religions are good, because they are against human sacrifice.

I'll also add that, in this context, the word "pagan," when used by Abrahamics, is commonly intended as a pejorative.

 

[SalixIncendium]

The real 'gift' passed onto us from the Abrahamic religions is the idea that there is one God, that it is inexplicable, and that it is something we humans have to live with every day.

No, "we" do not.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

It implies that human sacrifice is still condoned outside of Abrahamic religions. The sentence "in the past many pegan[sic] religons[sic] sacrified[sic] humans to their gods" was entirely irrelevant to the point that Abrahamic religions are good, because they are against human sacrifice.

(oy vey)

 

[SalixIncendium]

(oy vey)

That was productive.

 

[Starlight]

The entire second line. It implies that human sacrifice is still condoned outside of Abrahamic religions. The sentence "in the past many pegan[sic] religons[sic] sacrified[sic] humans to their gods" was entirely irrelevant to the point that Abrahamic religions are good, because they are against human sacrifice.

I'll also add that, in this context, the word "pagan," when used by Abrahamics, is commonly intended as a pejorative.

I wrote in the past, not now. And i wrote many pagan religions did human sacrifice it in the past, i did not wrote that all pagan religions had human sacrifice in the past

Pagan religions now is against human sacrifice