From: John Burgeson (hoss_radbourne@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Sep 18 2002 - 15:56:22 EDT
>>However, I see no reason for rejecting Jonah as a historical event, other
>>than a
bias against "miraculous" type events events in the Old Testament. Is there
any
scientific data to reject this as an actual happening?>>
I have no "bias" against miracles in either of the testaments. But both
Jonah and Job read like literature -- not as history. To hold that they are
-- either of them -- actual literal history seems no more likely than if
someone were to tell me to take CINDERELLA as literal history. That some
historical events may have been the cause of the stories as told is not
unlikely, of course.
I see no theological message in either book that is dependent upon either
being literal history.
The basic theological message of Jonah is that God reaches out to those who
are "not us." Both the ancient Jews and we modern 21st century "good guys"
need to apprehend that. Here in Denver, some of us are making a feeble
effort to do that with Habitat for Humanity. Eleven faith communities,
including a Catholic, Unitarian, and Jewish, are working together to build a
home for a Muslim. Reaching out to "the other" is, in my mind, the basic
behaviour all Christians should be about.
Burgy
www.burgy.50megs.com
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