|
Gossip
NMB, Florida February 9, 2002 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
GOSSIP
Last night in our Temple we were discussing "gossip". Now, there are quite
a few different kinds of gossip. When you talk about things involving other
people there are jealousies, maliciousness, carelessness and perhaps
innocence involved. But what I want to talk about is my sudden
understanding that there are too many rules in the lives of some of us.
The TEN COMMANDMENTS engraved in our memory have not been improved upon for
millennia. However, there have been additions to the original list of one
statement and nine prohibitions or commands so that in some accountings
there are over 400 things that you must watch out for or you will
transgress. I think it better if we keep it simple and try to abide by that
original nine and one statement. I believe we will all be better if we do.
The first commandment or statement tells us that there is one God and that
God is the one who brought the Hebrew people out from slavery in Egypt - the
same God who performed more and greater miracles than the magicians who
served Pharaoh. That Pharaoh was some piece of work. He promised -
something like Arafat - that he would do some of the things the Hebrews
wanted. But he took back his promises and this caused the Hebrew God to up
the ante on retribution and showed what this One God could do.
But, there are too many rules in some of our lives. The original nine and
the leading statement about an omniscient Being have been hard for me all my
life to recite flawlessly - and in order. Just trying to remember them and
keep them holy is difficult for someone like me with limited memory and
mental capacity. That limited capacity is apparent because I should be able
to recite the ten without trouble.
I have stated there are some who try to live by over 400 rules. That seems
to be to be impossible because you would have no life trying to do this. If
the omniscient Being wanted us to follow more than the ten they would have
been caused to be written down all together in a nice neat package. And they
haven't, at least to my knowledge. Now, going back to gossiping. It seems I
have been doing a lot of that right here and I haven't been nice to those
who believe in following a lot of rules.
Carol's Evaluation: 10 out of 10.
|
 |
|