How Do We Know How To Choose?

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 How Do We Know How To Choose?

On a recent photography trip downtown, I encountered a huge demonstration against abortion.  The next day, I found information about the event online and in the San Francisco Chronicle.  Apparently, some people drove over 30 hours from the Midwest as far as Tulsa, Oklahoma to demonstrate their stand against abortion.  One of the reasons for the demonstration was because Congress voted to defund Planned Parenthood in January, due to some release fabricated “undercover videos”.  Another reason was that it was the 43rd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade, the court decision that legalized abortion in the United States.  Many protesters were young men and women carrying the same placards stating “I Am The Pro-Life Generation.”  On the sidewalk, there was a small group of women and a few sympathizing men with their own homemade placards.  One of them stated, “Women Make Moral Choices”.  My question is, “How do we know which choice is or is not moral?”  Online, I learned that morality (from the Latin word “moralitas”, meaning “manner, character, proper behavior”) is a differentiation of intention, decisions and actions between those that are distinguished as proper and those that are improper”.  Since moral teachings are primarily based on the religious doctrines (even the word originates from Latin), I decided to find out what the Torah, which is the basis for the three major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, teaches about choice.  “I have placed life and death before you, blessings and curse, and you should choose life, so that you will live, you and your offspring” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

Sounds straightforward.  Choose life!  The Torah also has the Ten Commandments, which were given to the Israelites by God at the Biblical Mount Zion as a moral compass for their life journey (which translated from Hebrew as “the ten words”, or “ten matters”).  One of them clearly states, “You shall not kill”.  At the same time, the Torah has a number of stories that involve killing.  One of them is about the High Priest Aaron’s grandson Phinehas, who because of their immoral behavior kills another Israelite man and his mistress.  Phinehas’s action was rewarded.  “And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood, because he took vengeance for his God, and he atoned for the Children of Israel (Numbers 25:13).  Through the generations, the Jewish wise people taught that the Torah (which means “Instruction”, “Teaching”, but also “to shoot an arrow” or to hit the mark”) needs to be interpreted.  (The same goes with the Christian Bible and the Quran).

As a result, many people follow the moral interpretations of the scriptures by the wise teachers of their generations.  Meanwhile, some claim that they do not need any moral teachings; they can just follow the laws of nature (after all, animals manage somehow).

One thing is for sure – we all have many choices.  Choose wisely.  Enjoy and share.

P.S. I tried to photograph the images that would get your attention. I hope I succeeded.

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Cheers,

Manny<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />                                                               Signature