Fragment -- #123

[January 2000 journal entry]

The ‘non-religious’ approach to ethics and spirituality I am discovering requires that the four Gospels be critically read through two filters – i.e.,

1. modern and scientifically informed thinking and
2. the ‘in fact’ (rather than ‘apparent’) tragedy of human suffering.

Re the first filter -- it seems to me that the four Gospels reinforce and presuppose a pre-modern/pre-scientific worldview/cosmology. ‘Jesus’ is most often presented as thinking/speaking within that thought worldview/cosmology.

Re the second filter -- the tone/intent of the narrative re Herod having the infants slaughtered reflects an insensitivity to suffering/tragedy. However, several texts do encourage thoughtful attention to suffering/tragedy -- e.g.,

1. texts that challenge an institutional/ritual approach to spirituality,
2. the Beatitudes,
3. Matt. 25:31ff,
4. the reduction of the law and prophets to ‘love’,
5. the “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” question from the cross,
6. the focus on the poor and the vulnerable in Luke,
7. the stories about lepers,
8. . . . .