02-12-2020, 02:12 AM
It's been awhile since thinking of this thread, but today, on the Dennis Prager radio program, he spoke of different categories of speech. My first reaction was to question where in the Torah or Tanach is the basis for the moral reasonings? https://www.dennisprager.com/why-private...character/
Of the four categories, private speech, private actions, public speech and public actions, only private speech is unimportant. The last three matter the most and it is they that reveal a person's character. I agree, and believe this is in conflict with some Christian teachings that focus on thoughts with scriptural backing.
From the Rational Bible, Genesis 6:5, he expounds further. - People Are Guilty For Their Bad Actions, Not Their Bad Thoughts - He wrote, "The Torah acknowledges this baser component of the human psyche and therefore does not demand that people feel guilty over their bad thoughts. It is only bad actions-the "wickedness" mentioned in the first half of this verse-that are punished. (The one seeming exception, the tenth of the Ten Commandments, not to covet what belongs to our neighbor, is explained in the commentary to Exodus 20:14).
Concerning the goodness or badness of human nature, see the essay in Genesis 8:21: "Why the Belief that People are Basically Good is Both Wrong and Dangerous." I tend to agree with him completely on his reasoning towards private thought as being irrelevant towards ones character. It is the actions pursuing, despite whatever thoughts an individual has that make up one's character.
Does anyone know or can anyone give other Jewish writings to corroborate what he wrote and spoke of today?
Thank you.
Of the four categories, private speech, private actions, public speech and public actions, only private speech is unimportant. The last three matter the most and it is they that reveal a person's character. I agree, and believe this is in conflict with some Christian teachings that focus on thoughts with scriptural backing.
From the Rational Bible, Genesis 6:5, he expounds further. - People Are Guilty For Their Bad Actions, Not Their Bad Thoughts - He wrote, "The Torah acknowledges this baser component of the human psyche and therefore does not demand that people feel guilty over their bad thoughts. It is only bad actions-the "wickedness" mentioned in the first half of this verse-that are punished. (The one seeming exception, the tenth of the Ten Commandments, not to covet what belongs to our neighbor, is explained in the commentary to Exodus 20:14).
Concerning the goodness or badness of human nature, see the essay in Genesis 8:21: "Why the Belief that People are Basically Good is Both Wrong and Dangerous." I tend to agree with him completely on his reasoning towards private thought as being irrelevant towards ones character. It is the actions pursuing, despite whatever thoughts an individual has that make up one's character.
Does anyone know or can anyone give other Jewish writings to corroborate what he wrote and spoke of today?
Thank you.