You see, I was raised on Surak and Sarek's wisdom, via outofambit: Sarek, while on Earth, visited a religious group, who had a notable holy book. Now, that book (in Sarek's words) is "a wise one, filled with many good advices" for those who read it, understand it, and adapt the advice to fit their situation. But these people declared that the entire thing must be followed. Sarek, who had read it, questioned: the entire thing? To the letter? Yes, the people said. "Even the part where it says that when you need to relieve your bowels, you are to go the prescribed distance from town, dig a hole with a wooden paddle, and relieve yourself into the hole?"
Thus was I taught that while the principles expressed in any ancient document may be dead-on (good sanitation is vital for any community), the application may need some updating to be relevant to the modern world. Dumping chamber pots in the street? Bad idea. Having a modern sewage treatment plant where human waste is not allowed to get into the drinking water? Good idea. Eating parasite-riddled undercooked pork? Bad, bad idea. Eating well-cooked pork? Not such a bad idea. (One does wonder how safe from mad cow disease certified kosher beef is. I should suspect that it would be safer than much other beef.)
As a modern mystic, I am uniquely suited to talk about the interpretation of divine messages. It could well be that many of the health and sanitation commandments were interpreted from what happened when they didn't follow them, and then the Wrath of G-d in the form of a nasty plague struck. I'd take that as a divine caution! (For the record, I think that picking up a different person in a bar every night and having unprotected intercourse is just stupid, regardless of sex, and speaks of someone who is really really lonely and has Issues.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
azurelunatic) wrote2004-03-01 12:08 pm
no subject
Thus was I taught that while the principles expressed in any ancient document may be dead-on (good sanitation is vital for any community), the application may need some updating to be relevant to the modern world. Dumping chamber pots in the street? Bad idea. Having a modern sewage treatment plant where human waste is not allowed to get into the drinking water? Good idea. Eating parasite-riddled undercooked pork? Bad, bad idea. Eating well-cooked pork? Not such a bad idea. (One does wonder how safe from mad cow disease certified kosher beef is. I should suspect that it would be safer than much other beef.)
As a modern mystic, I am uniquely suited to talk about the interpretation of divine messages. It could well be that many of the health and sanitation commandments were interpreted from what happened when they didn't follow them, and then the Wrath of G-d in the form of a nasty plague struck. I'd take that as a divine caution! (For the record, I think that picking up a different person in a bar every night and having unprotected intercourse is just stupid, regardless of sex, and speaks of someone who is really really lonely and has Issues.)