Part 1

Re:
a) "significant issues...far deeper examination" Forum 33 Brian 2520
b) "analyze the hard issues" Forum 41 King Hazza
c) "confused understanding" Forum 42 Brian 2520
d) "change at the top" Forum 53 Neutral
e) "more resilient to social stresses and all of life's other challenges" Forum 65
Brian 2520
f) "Judeo/Christian model" Forum 3, 13 Paw, Forum 17 Geoff of Perth

Argument within a tradition sometimes fails to understand alternative views from an outsider. In this age of information overload, confusion can often be the result.

Such may well be the case with the notion Judeo/Christian tradition. At its most basic, this is a conflicting term. Perhaps a simple explanation may be derived from sacred literature - The Bible. The terms "Old Testament" and "New Testament" would be far better replaced by TaNaK(The Hebrew Bible) and Nicaean Canon. It is not correct to think there is some seamless transition from "Old" to "New". Rather, the suggested name changes help to reveal two entirely different mindsets.

Thus Rome's inability to come to terms with Galileo for more than 350 years, opened the way for science to attack religion.

Sigmund Freud, the papa of psychiatry, noted that conflict in religion is a primary source of mental illness. His concept of the Oedipus complex became a panacea which swept the world. Freud's last work "Moses and Monotheism" denigrated Moses with the claim that the Egyptian Pharaoh Akenaten was the first monotheist and thus Moses' precursor. The Church rejected Freud, But the challenge was taken up in the world of Jewish psychiatry, with a radically different result.

The challenge to orthodox science was also unbearable with the most shameful outrages against honest sincere inquiry occurring in the middle of the 20th century. The vehemence has continued throughout the first decade of the 21st century, despite the successful emergence of a new scientific paradigm. Thus more confusion.

shmuel

Part 2

Conflict within and between science and religion demands reconciliation. This is so, if a new spiritual identity is to emerge that will assist modern youth to face a complex but wonderful future with confidence.

It should never be forgotten... the sanctity of Life is the supreme value and needs to be sanctified. This is the province of religion

shmuel

King Hazza, granted not all marriages are entered into with good intentions and in the end some marriages would be more destructive to maintain than to dissolve. Even Jesus conceded that due to the hardness of heart of his generation, individual marriages could not always succeed in the way they were intended.

But what we have been doing in our society for decades is actively promoting alternative dysfunctional lifestyle scenarios as the new 'normal', rather than fostering and promoting what most often works. This situation has created and entrenched a general moral rudderlessness and then we in 2011 pretend to be at a loss to understand the root causes of major societal dysfunction that results such as the UK riots, perhaps future Australian riots if measures such as the shared parenting roll-back bill are passed. All I am suggesting is that we as a society proceed with the end in mind.

It is said that an elderly American Indian chief once related a story with life purpose to a young brave of about 11-12yrs, who was approaching his initiation into adulthood. The wise old man explained that he had long been greatly pained because it was like he had two wolves inside him that were fighting with each other constantly. One wolf was a benevolent selfless wolf and the other was a selfish, greedy, mean spirited wolf. The young brave was quite anxious regarding his beloved elder's ongoing painful experience and asked the chief which wolf was most likely to win the fight. The chief sighed knowingly as only one of great years and wisdom is want to do, and said encouragingly to the boy that victory was assured for the wolf he chose to feed.