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The day before yesterday Muslims all over the world commemorated the Eid al-Adha or Idul Adha. It’s a religious highlight about sacrifice in Islam. It originates from a story in Quran which also is in the other two monotheistic holy books. This commemoration is an important event to believers. And on top of that it’s socially sympathetic because everyone who can afford will sacrifice a goat, sheep of cow from which the poor benefit. It fits the great duty and tradition of alms. The President’s one ton Ongole cow also was such a contribution.
The news item sent me back to my youth. Because this specific episode was also in the holy book at home, the Bible.
Born in an orthodox Protestant family I of course had my daily shower of stories from the Old Testament. I loved them. I guess most little boys ( and little girls I assume) get carried away by this treasury of fascinating, exciting and scary tales . In a way it’s a pity the Bible is gathering dust in most households over here today. Because all the ingredients and genres of great literature are there. From farce to Shakespearean drama. Courage and treason, action and philosophy, sex and violence, romance and labour, solidarity and slavery. And, at least in the traditional Dutch translation of the “Statenbijbel“, it has been told in a magnificent style. No complaints here.
However some parts of the ancient tales are really over the top . Cruel and chilling. The one where Abraham is ready to prove his faith in and obedience to God is one of the worst. The patriarch gave in to the Lord’s demand to kill, sacrifice, his only son( Genesis 22: 1 -12). The fact a heavenly last minute intervention stopped the killing of Isaac just in time was insufficient relieve in my childish anguish.
Anyway the story’s horrendous content and message kept haunting my dreams which changed into nightmares. After all in retrospect this story is essentially similar to and equally alarming and distressing as the Milgram experiments on obedience to authority figures. I couldn’t get it out of my head: would my father ever consider sacrificing me, his only son, if the Lord - How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!( Romans 11:33)- would choose to test his faith too?
Loosing my religion later on had many causes. I trust the main one being my gradually growing critical mind. However that in it’s turn partly was brought about by this specific Biblical episode. While I learned about how misguiding the ancient religions of Maya and Teotihuacano were – they held ritual child sacrifices- what about this Abraham? It made me ask others and myself whether it made sense to put one’s faith in that kind of cruel set of values. And whether it could ever be justified to demand a father to act like a religious maniac.
It’s still beyond my comprehension why so many nice, kind, smart, empathic people I know and many many many more I don’t know, do seem to endorse their holy scripture lock, stock and barrel and don’t really seem to bother what it actually tells in the details. And why they apparently avoid to ask critical questions.
Religion and spirituality are inherent human qualities.They are something some us are generously endowed with and others much less. To which I bow with respect. However unconditionally and totally approving of ancient(holy) books regardless of it’s content, is beyond my comprehension. Why on earth should we ever voluntary switch off two other inherent human qualities, ratio and personal conscience?
No, Abraham to me didn’t pass the test, he utterly failed.
Right. Today this Abraham fellow would be charged with aggravated assault on a minor, possession of a deadly weapon with intent to kill, and either sent to a penitenciary or a mental institution. Instead the religious “mind” worships him as a prophet. Any so-called “god” that would play this cruel joke on a man, telling him to sacrafice his own son, is worthy of rejection, spite and derision.
What are the environmental implications of raising so many goats for slaughter, meneer? A more modern and humanist rendering of this “tradition” would have long replaced the slaughter of the goat for something symbolic that does not require the slaughter of an animal.
Funnily enough, this reminds me of the daily test we had to endure during my Paskibra days (which I’m going to write for NaNoWriMo). There was this golden rule that the seniors were always right and we could never disobey their orders. But then there were a lot of times they questioned us, would we really jump over a cliff if they ordered us to?
the god of old testatement behaved like god of war is unlike the kind, peace-loving one in new one. I always think they are two (or more) separate entities unified into one god. it makes more sense if you think like that, tbh.
Other options include i.) that those tales are man-made, or ii.) that that god is schizophrenic. Which one suits you better?
both
@ Mauricio: I expect that – in the face of the hardships and absurdity of life- religions, with their usual messages of postponed hope, comfort and solace as well as discipline, compliance and obedience, will stay a human necessity. Would the monotheistic religions be abolished, I guess new great spiritual adventurers would start new ones. Though I’m willing to agree with anybody who explains religion in terms of psychology, social psychology, sociology or even psychiatry, there probably is more to it. Something inherently human. (Being a non believer I personally of course agree all religions are man made).
@ Calvin: I agree, The best literature is in the old testament, the part to fall in love with in the new testament. Reading it critically I guess everybody can find his own inspirational JC. Yet at the end the doom and gloom of the Apocalypse in the Revelation of John( though another great story,) is gruesome once more.
@ Uti: First of all I owe you an apology; my anti spam device did put away your comment
. To save it I also needed ‘last minute intervention’ 
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As for the subject I think there are quite a lot of situations in which we have to choose between following orders and making own choices. I guess the crucial one are those decisions which imply moral issues. Our answers to those challenges partly define our personality [or vice versa (^_-)]. c
I actually wondered about this too – although in my case I heard it from a teacher who taught me how to read a Quran. Even back then I thought God was so scary and Abraham was mental to be willing to kill his own son.
There are a lot of things in the holy books which I think are only suitable for its time and heavily influenced by surrounding culture.
There are lots of things worthy of admiration and emulation in those “holy books”. But there’s no need to adopt the religion wholesale, engage in the ritual, wear the paraphernalia and repeat the incantations to take them in and practice them. Doing so is a case of keeping the dirty bathwater along with the baby. It’s as is I had to become a card-carrying Communist militant in order to care about social justice and equitable distribution of resources.
@ Finally Woken: You’re right I guess. Tenach, Bible and Quran can only be understood by taking times and conditions into account. Though I’m afraid that is hard to recognize for people who genuinely believe they came to us by revelation of (literally) God’s words.
@ Mauricio: Hear, hear! (Though I’m often told how comforting rituals are to those going through a rough time). And yes, Communism – and neo-liberalism for that matter- is a very apt comparison.
Guess you’re right that the most important thing is socially sympathetic where the haves should share something for the poor.
@ Utomo: I do agree with you. That twist in the tradition is very positive indeed. It appeals to social conscience and should make people wonder about their greedy traits and materialism as well.
I would’ve commented something, but it’s bordering blasphemy according Indonesian law, methinks. tatemae, dear Jerry…
triesti:I wouldn’t want to see you in jail
. Such a nasty place to visit you(^_-) . I can guess what “honne” is like anyway 
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Moreover it’s a valuable comment:-). It explains why no questions have been or will be asked about questionable theological issues.