Irwin Kula
Rabbi, author, commentator

Irwin Kula

Kula is the President of The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership in New York. He has served congregations in St. Louis, New York and Jerusalem.

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God Is Not A Political Trump Card

I am not interested in a candidate's religious views. From the outside looking in, the beliefs of another's faith community often seem very strange, weird, and even frightening. The issue of concern for me is not what a candidate believes about God but whether a candidate believes in the separation of church and state.

I am interested in whether a candidate's religious belief dictates his or her public policy. I am concerned when a candidate uses God as some sort of trump card that makes moot ongoing debate, discussion, and attempts to persuade with facts and reason - understanding that there are many ways facts can be organized and many ways reason can be used. I am concerned when God is used as a way to terminate all disagreement and argument and to demonize those with whom one disagrees. I worry about candidates if the way in which they believe in God stops continued wrestling and thinking about an issue and keeps them from genuinely listening to divergent and even contradictory views.

We have had this morally self-righteous, arrogant, and simplistic (if not idolatrous) level of understanding of God and use of religious belief for the past eight years. We have had a President who when it came to decide one of the most critical issues in a nation's history - whether to prosecute a war - did not ask counsel from his father, a former President who had actually fought a war with Iraq, but consulted with his father in heaven who, wonder of wonders, confirmed exactly what he had already been thinking and preparing for well before he consulted with his god.

The problem is not whether a candidate believes in God; rather the problem is when a candidate uses her belief in God to demonize those who disagree with her or to imply that a person who in good faith has a different opinion is somehow morally suspect. The issue is not whether a candidate prays for our military but when that prayer moves from humble supplication and hope to haughty assertion and declaration that blinds one to any path but staying the course.

Thinking that God's will is to build a natural gas pipeline is incredibly simplistic theology but as long as believing that does not stop ongoing debate about the ethical and environmental costs of doing so or the consideration of alternative energy sources I am not concerned. My concern is not whether a candidate believes that our country is doing God's will but whether such a belief creates the sort of pride that comes before the fall or creates a sense of humility and modesty that compels one to constantly be re-asking whether our country is indeed doing God's will. I am always nervous when candidates are so sure that God is on their side - whether they be conservative or liberal. But then I am concerned with secular believers who know exactly what the god they do not believe in thinks. My rule is the fiercer a person claims they know that God is on their side supporting their partisan political position the more they are actually repressing serious doubt about their position and surprisingly often masking their acting out the very position they are opposing - see Ted Haggard.

The problem is not a candidate's belief in God but the candidate's psychological stage of development. At what altitude does one believe in God? Does a candidate use God to simply legitimate, support, anchor, and reify his existing views making them impervious to any critique? Does a candidate make the infinite God a small, partisan, cheap, cheerleader of some finite political position? Or does a candidate's belief in God serve as a constant reminder that every human view, especially ones own, is a finite, partial, fragment of a an infinite whole. Does belief in God foster humility, modesty, a capacity to appreciate paradox and contradiction and ambiguity - to embrace the sacred messiness of life? We have things backwards in America. Belief in God has become a trump card to stop debate and to divide and polarize - thank you Karl Rove - and the most important conversations a people can have - about life and death and sexuality and relationships and our place on the planet - have become cultural wars rather than explorations and discoveries of our humanness.

It seems to me that when we make God so small to actually be on one side our guns (literal and metaphoric) get bigger. Maybe we ought to take God out of the equation after all the age of prophecy is over- no one has direct unambiguous communication - and since none of us would do anything consciously that we believed was against God's will maybe we ought to make God a wash and admit that saying God is on my side is actually not saying anything particularly important at all. Perhaps instead we, especially those of us who consider ourselves religious people, should take the second of the Ten Commandments more seriously and not take God's name in vain. After all, if God is infinite then God is on al sides and all sides are included in God. When God gets that big the guns will get smaller.

By Irwin Kula  |  September 9, 2008; 1:09 PM ET
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Paraphrasing from the New Testament, Benedict decried "insatiable greed" and said "the love of money is the root of all evil."
"Have not money, the thirst for possessions, for power and even knowledge, diverted man from his true destiny?" the pope asked.

“THIS IS MY COVENANT”
“BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND THY SEED AFTER THEE”
“IT SHALL BE A TOKEN OF THE COVENANT BETWIXT ME AND YOU.”
“BOUGHT WITH MONEY OF ANY STRANGER, WHICH IS NOT OF THY SEED.”
“AND LOVETH THE STRANGER”
“IN GIVING HIM FOOD AND RAIMENT.”
“FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL”
“BECAUSE THAT FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE THEY WENT FORTH”
“TAKING NOTHING OF THE GENTILES”

PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT
ARISE, AND GO INTO THE STREET WHICH IS CALLED STRAIGHT
AND INQUIRE IN THE HOUSE OF JUDAS
THAT WHICH IS CROOKED CANNOT BE MADE STRAIGHT
THAT WHICH IS WANTING CANNOT BE NUMBERED

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

“In those days came John the Baptist”
“And saying, Repent ye”
“for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
“Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”

That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

“That which is crooked cannot be made straight”
“that which is wanting cannot be numbered.”

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

“And the Lord said unto him”
“That which is crooked cannot be made straight”
“that which is wanting cannot be numbered.”
“Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight”
“and inquire in the house of Judas”
“for one called Saul, of Tarsus”
“for, behold, he prayeth”

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

“love unto all the saints”
“Cease not to give thanks for you”
“making mention of you in my prayers”

“This is my covenant”
“between me and you and thy seed after thee”
“it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”
“bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.”
“and loveth the stranger”
“in giving him food and raiment.”
“For the love of money is the root of all evil”
“Because that for his name's sake they went forth”
“taking nothing of the Gentiles”

This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

“This is my covenant”
“between me and you and thy seed after thee”
“Every man child among you shall be circumcised”
“And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin”
“it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”
“he that is born in the house”
“or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.”
“my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant”
“the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised”
“that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”

Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
For the Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:
He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.
Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the Lord thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

“the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the Lord's thy God”
“the earth also, with all that therein is.”
“Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them”
“he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.”
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked”
“For the Lord your God is God of Gods”
“Lord of Lords”

“For the Lord your God is God of Gods”
And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Benjamin's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him
“a great God”
“a mighty”
“and a terrible”
“which regardeth not persons”
“nor taketh reward”

“Lord of Lords”
So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
” loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”
“Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt”
“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God”
” him shalt thou serve”
” and to him shalt thou cleave”
“and swear by his name”

He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

“He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow”
“and loveth the stranger”
“in giving him food and raiment.”
“Love ye therefore the stranger”
“for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt”

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

“And having food and raiment let us be therewith content”
“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare”
“into many foolish and hurtful lusts”
“which drown men in destruction and perdition”
“For the love of money is the root of all evil”
“which while some coveted after”
“they have erred from the faith”
“pierced themselves through with many sorrows”

“O man of God”
“flee these things”
“follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”

Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:
Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.

“Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church”
“Because that for his name's sake they went forth”
“taking nothing of the Gentiles”

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

“And hereby we do know that we know him”
“if we keep his commandments”
“He that saith, I know him”
“keepeth not his commandments”
“is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
“But whoso keepeth his word”
“in him verily is the love of God perfected”
“hereby know we that we are in him.”


Posted by: harold | September 13, 2008 1:22 PM
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I am amazed that in the thousands of years of the Torah there is none that knows the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy seat. It all has to do with the Ten Commandants. I am amiss that nobody knows them. How be it that nobody knows the LORD is the Father and the Mother. Many claim to know God, but I have proven that be not the case. How can there be peace on earth when the God the world worships knows nothing but evil. How can there be peace on earth when the world rejects the LORD. If anyone has a sane opinion to offer, please enlighten me.

Posted by: harold | September 12, 2008 12:21 PM
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THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE ARK SAVE THE TWO TABLES OF STONE

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.
Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word:
But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.

“had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach”

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,
So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.
Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

“There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone”
“which Moses put there at Horeb”
“when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel”
“that the cloud filled the house of the Lord”
“for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord”
“The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness”

And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.
And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

“And he declared unto you his covenant”
“which he commanded you to perform”
“Ten Commandments”
“he wrote them upon two tables of stone”

“Lest ye corrupt yourselves”
“make you a graven image”
“the similitude of any figure”
“the likeness of male or female”
“The likeness of any beast that is on the earth”
“the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air”
“The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground”
“the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth”
“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven”
“when thou seest the sun”
“the moon”
“even all the host of heaven”

“LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES”
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.

“WHEN THOU SEEST THE SUN”
“THE MOON”
“AND THE STARS”
“God made two great lights”
“the greater light to rule the day”
“the lesser light to rule the night”
“God called the light Day”
”the darkness he called Night
”he made the stars also”

“THE LIKENESS OF ANY FISH THAT IS IN THE WATERS BENEATH THE EARTH”
“Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life”
“God created great whales”
“and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind”

“THE LIKENESS OF ANY THING THAT CREEPETH ON THE GROUND”
“God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing”

“THE LIKENESS OF ANY WINGED FOWL THAT FLIETH IN THE AIR”
“and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven”
“every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

““THE LIKENESS OF ANY BEAST THAT IS ON THE EARTH”
“and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”
“And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

“THE LIKENESS OF MALE OR FEMALE”
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”

“MAKE YOU A GRAVEN IMAGE”
“THE SIMILITUDE OF ANY FIGURE”
“God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”

“LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES”
“AND LEST THOU LIFT UP THINE EYES UNTO HEAVEN”
“EVEN ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN”
“Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.”

“LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES”
“And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it”

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
And God said, Let the waters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.


Posted by: harold | September 11, 2008 10:39 PM
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God’s will I would think would be to heal everyone. Back in the time Jesus saw that the wealthy were keeping all the protein for themselves and the poor and indentured servitude got only bread, a diet of which leads to severe malnutrition, biochemical malfunction and disease, so he was teaching them how to fish and make nets that they could get needed to eat protein and actually lift themselves from poverty. Therefore his will would be “The End of Disease” which you can read the steps and insight here.

There is no cure for disease, but there is a solution, the end of disease
http://intelegen.com/there_is_no_cure_for_disease.htm

You can also read the Fish Story Here
Sirius The FBI Agent and The Fish Company
http://iamblogging.net/Urgo/archives/2004/10/sirius_the_fbi.html

Obviously the people in positions of power are not doing God’s will because we would be implementing Universal Health not Universal Disease Care.

Posted by: Richard Thomas | September 11, 2008 12:01 PM
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I have analyzed God's energy system design. Gas pipe lines are not his design.

He suspended a nuclear reactor overhead which distributes energy equally for free, all over the planet, effortless to use.

As I brought to our attention before:

In looking at the energy systems in the human body, and there isn't centralized production of energy, there is decentralized production of energy. Each cell has it's own energy production as should each house on the planet. We do need storage just like the ATP molecule in the body.

It's too bad that some don't have me by their side to duel against the fictions. I have this really cool sword ~Excalibur~.

GM is burdened by disease care costs it runs into the tens of billions. This is not good for America. It is time to implement Universal Health, not Universal Disease Care.

I also know about their internal accounting practices, and hence the need for transparency.

Posted by: Richard Thomas | September 11, 2008 11:26 AM
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Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

“Seeing ye have PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING THE TRUTH through the spirit”
“love of the brethren”
“see that ye love one another with a PURE HEART fervently”
“BEING BORN AGAIN”
“by the WORD OF GOD”
“which LIVETH AND ABIDETH FOR EVER.”

Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?
Should thy lies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?
For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.
But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

“For thou hast said”
“MY DOCTRINE IS PURE”

“But oh that God would speak”
“and open his lips against thee”

Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

MY DOCTRINE SHALL DROP AS THE RAIN
BECAUSE I WILL PUBLISH THE NAME OF THE LORD

For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,
Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.
See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

“But oh that God would speak”
“and open his lips against thee”
“Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings”
“let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.”

“I make alive”
“I heal”
“For I lift up my hand to heaven”
“I live for ever”

THE LORD SHALL SET HIS HAND AGAIN THE SECOND TIME
to recover the remnant of his people
he shall set up an ensign for the nations
and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel
and gather together the dispersed of Judah
the four corners of the earth
the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue
there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people
And in that day thou shalt say
O Lord, I will praise thee
Behold, God is my salvation
I will trust, and not be afraid
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Praise the Lord
call upon his name
Sing unto the Lord

Posted by: harold | September 11, 2008 9:04 AM
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This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob

Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.
Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him”
“and he will shew them his covenant”

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.
I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.
Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me.

“he hath put a new song in my mouth”
“many shall see it, and fear”
“and shall trust in the Lord”
“Then said I, Lo, I come”
“in the volume of the book it is written of me”

Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth.
He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

“By the word of the Lord were the heavens made”
“and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

“Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?”
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing”
“and the breath of all mankind”
“Doth not the ear try words?”
“and the mouth taste his meat?”
“With him is wisdom and strength,”
“he hath counsel and understanding.”

Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil”
“Counsel is mine,”
“and sound wisdom”
“I am understanding”
“I have strength”

Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.
For it shall be, that, as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.
Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.
Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.
Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.
For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah: the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof, they are come even unto Jazer, they wandered through the wilderness: her branches are stretched out, they are gone over the sea.
Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon, and Elealeh: for the shouting for thy summer fruits and for thy harvest is fallen.
And gladness is taken away, and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting: the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.
Wherefore my bowels shall sound like an harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.
And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.
This is the word that the Lord hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.
But now the Lord hath spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of an hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned, with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble.

“Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the wilderness”
“that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.”
“But now the Lord hath spoken”
“Within three years”
“the glory of Moab shall be contemned”

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.


the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him
the spirit of wisdom and understanding
the spirit of counsel and might
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord
But with righteousness shall he judge the poor
and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
which shall stand for an ensign of the people
to it shall the Gentiles seek
and his rest shall be glorious
it shall come to pass in that day,
THE LORD SHALL SET HIS HAND AGAIN THE SECOND TIME
to recover the remnant of his people
he shall set up an ensign for the nations
and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel
and gather together the dispersed of Judah
the four corners of the earth
the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue
there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people
And in that day thou shalt say
O Lord, I will praise thee
Behold, God is my salvation
I will trust, and not be afraid
Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Praise the Lord
call upon his name
Sing unto the Lord

This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob

Posted by: harold | September 11, 2008 8:39 AM
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Which book are you recorded in? Which book of life? Who do you stand before? Are you numbered or named.

And he took the BOOK OF THE COVENANT, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat?
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

“Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?”
“In whose hand is the soul of every living thing”
“and the breath of all mankind”
“Doth not the ear try words?”
“and the mouth taste his meat?”
“With him is wisdom and strength,”
“he hath counsel and understanding.”

And the Lord spake unto MOSES and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

“and the mouth taste his meat?”
“In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb”
“take it according to the NUMBER of the souls”

This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
And MOSES said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

“and the mouth taste his meat?”
“Gather of it every man according to his eating”
“an omer for every man”
“according to the NUMBER of your persons”
“take ye every man for them which are in his tents.”

And the Lord spake unto MOSES, saying,
When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.
Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.
The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.

“When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their NUMBER”
“then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord”
”when they give an offering unto the Lord”
“to make an atonement for your souls.”

And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the Lord, even every man upon his son and upon his brother that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.

“Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me.”
“there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.”
“Whosoever hath sinned against me”
“him will I blot out of my book.”

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.
I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.
And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

“so stand fast in the Lord”
“that they be of the same mind in the Lord”
“Rejoice in the Lord always”
“and again I say, Rejoice”
“The Lord is at hand.”

BROUGHT THEM UNTO ADAM

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

“Lord God formed every beast of the field”
“and every fowl of the air”
“brought them unto ADAM to see what he would call them”
“whatsoever Adam called every LIVING CREATURE”
“that was the NAME thereof”

This is THE BOOK OF THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

THE BOOK OF THE GENERATION OF JESUS CHRIST, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.

And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB slain from the foundation of the world.

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Posted by: harold | September 11, 2008 7:57 AM
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"Our core values shape the way we act."

Very much so- but without restriction, such acceptance leads to events like the Holocaust, or the slaughter of Native Americans, or the discrimination against gays or African Americans, and slavery.

Faith doesn't always lead us in the right direction because religion is created by man to interpret G-d. More to the point, anyone who is elected President of the United States (or V-P) take an oath to protect the constitution, the Bill of rights and the laws of this country. I'm not asking Palin or Obama or any politician to forget their faith, I'm telling them when they are elected to office, they need to be able to set aside their personal beliefs for the greater good. Palin show no evidence of being able to do that, nor caring to do that. this country is a multiplicity of religions,faiths and lifestyles. It works because in the public sector there is the Constitution promising equality for all. Not equality for the majority and sub equality for the rest of us.

This country is being torn apart in this culture war, yet many of the religious right cannot see that or understand that. For them, "it's all about me. My beliefs, my wants, my biases."

At its core is an innate hypocrisy- gays and homosexuals must obey the laws and pay taxes but not get the same rights and benefits. I personally find that a repulsive concept. Instead, the religious right is so obsessed over semantics, that they will violate the spirit and intent of our laws. then what's next? Back to slavery? At one time there was a faux-religious justification for slavery because , after all, these were "savages."

So my question is, if you can't separate your personal faith from your political power, if you aren't willing to accept that under the Constitution and the Bill of rights everyone's religion, and all people are created equal,then you shouldn't be in politics at all.

Posted by: sparrow | September 10, 2008 12:45 PM
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Our bottom line beliefs cannot but shape our conduct. This is true wherever we fall on the spectrum of faith. To suggest otherwise is either naive or dishonest. To ask Palin to divorce her public life from her private beliefs is as asburd as asking Barak Obama to keep his political assumptions out of the oval office. We just cannot help it. Our core values shape the way we act. We live and we speak out of the overflow of our hearts.

Posted by: Neil C Stewart | September 10, 2008 11:53 AM
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"The same applies to the historical association between Senator Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Senator Obama evidently prefers a style of worship that is spirit-filled in some sense, which makes him very much a mirror image of Gov. Palin. Whether his preferences have induced a kind of ossified myopia is, however, anyone's guess."

I have to respectfully disagree with this. The Rev. Wright's faux pas notwithstanding, he comes from a very different tradition. Senator Obama is also a much different personality than Ms. Palin and so far hasn't exhibited the rigidity or self-satisfied moral righteousness Ms. Palin has.

Posted by: sparrow | September 10, 2008 11:34 AM
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I agree with your well-articulated remarks, Rabbi. Faith without reason is fideism. Reason without dialog is "thinking in a vacuum."

Then, too, reason and dialog without inspiration is spiritless and flat, and inevitably drifts toward a society without principles. All are needed to arrive at truth.

As for Gov. Palin's religiousity, I know nothing beyond her evident preference for Pentecostalism. If she is the sort of unreasoning person that many have suggested, she would not be fit for office. If she is nothing of the kind, then all of this critique is shameful. The same applies to the historical association between Senator Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Senator Obama evidently prefers a style of worship that is spirit-filled in some sense, which makes him very much a mirror image of Gov. Palin. Whether his preferences have induced a kind of ossified myopia is, however, anyone's guess.

Posted by: Fr. Larry Gearhart | September 10, 2008 11:19 AM
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exactly. there are no more frightening words than "g-d is on our side", and "I prayed to G-d and this is what he told me to do."

I can think of no more terrifying person to be veep or President than someone who with every moment still has to ask G-d to tell them what to do when by their lights it has all been laid out for them in the bible already. Seems to me if you haven't already learned his lessons from that, you won't be getting more answers from Him.

And I don't mean that no one should question the rightness of their decisions- heck, I'm Jewish. All I do is question- but it seems to me what politicians like Palin and Bush are doing is not asking for answers and insight, they're claiming G-d for justification of their agendas.

There are religious men and women who ask for wisdom, there are atheists and agnostics who think about how to do the right thing. In truly good, thoughtful people there is always an element of uncertainty- is this the best thing to do? Is this what He meant? Am I following His teachings? It's a constant reassessment, not of what G-d says, but of what we understand and how to apply it.

I see none of that in Bush or Palin's kind of religion. they seem to have a very brittle kind of philosophy, one that demands compliance. In that I always wondered if the most certain of us is not the most insecure? I tend to believe in Aesop's fable of the willow and the oak when it comes to a question of strength.

Posted by: sparrow | September 10, 2008 10:38 AM
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What brilliant insight.

Posted by: Debbie Love | September 10, 2008 10:16 AM
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Sadly, in Cheney's Jesuslandia, the latest polls show the hateful, intolerant neochristian idea of "God" is a Trump Card.

Americans deserves the fascist theocracy they are headed for. Let's see how their grandchildren like Chinese domination because, instead of remaining competitive, Americans spent their time cherry-picking Leviticus and pointing their twisted judgmental fingers condemning and damning anyone and everyone different from them.

Posted by: Roy | September 10, 2008 9:00 AM
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Superbly stated. Thank you.

Posted by: Lynn Willis | September 10, 2008 7:26 AM
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