[Buddha-l] Re: Ethics and the four way test

[Mike Austin]

In message <1933971112.20050314114538 at kungzhi.org>, Benito Carral 
<bcarral at kungzhi.org> writes
>On Monday, March 14, 2005, Evelyn Ruut wrote:
>
>> All  these  things  like  the  golden  rule, the ten
>> commandments  and the four way test are just to help
>> us  sort  out how to cause the least possible misery
>> to others as we go about in the world.
>
>   This  is  only  partially true. For example, if you
>ask  an  orthodox  Jew,  he will tell you that the ten
>commandments  come  from  G-d and that he follows them
>just  because that reason. There are also laws that he
>doesn't  understand at all and he follows them because
>they  come  from  G-d. For a Jew, the ten commandments
>are  an  essential part of his metanarrative. So maybe
>they  are  just  to  help us sort out how to cause the
>least  possible missey to others for you, but yours is
>not an universal reading.

Benito,

In theistic religions, such as Judaism, is there no onus on the follower 
to enquire and understand?  I asked a Muslim about the practice of Islam 
and he told me it was, "Complete submission to the will of Allah."  Such 
practices must surely involve enquiry. One needs to know, at least, what 
the written words that purport to be his will actually mean. It seems to 
me this may also require understanding of some reason or purpose.  Or is 
it understood that God's will is for us not enquire? In which case,  are 
there those who have God's authority to interpret his will for us?

-- 
Metta
Mike Austin