From: stevek
Date: Wed Nov 19 17:30:56 MST 2003
Subject: suspension

The system wouldn't let me 'edit this blog' so I'll answer Eric's clarification to my question this way. I agree with Kierkegaard that if God had asked Abraham to kill his son - and had allowed him to go through with it - that would have constituted a suspension of God's own ethical standards. But that's not what happened. God asked for a demonstration of the level of Abe's faith. It would have made for an interesting dialogue were Abraham to have challenged God's request on ethical grounds, but he didn't. Instead, he moved ahead in faith that God would provide the sacrifice. God did, and it wasn't Isaac. That's a story of faith and trust, not an indictment of God's willingness to step away from His own standards. As I think through this though it occurs to me that what Kierkegaard is suggesting may apply to the story of Job. Even more, to the story of God's own Son and His treatment of Him. Then arises the question, is it acceptable to violate an ethical standard if the purpose is to demonstrate a greater principle, or achieve a greater goal; that is, provide the only way for reconciliation of man to the Creator? I guess the answer has to be 'yes', or God wouldn't have done it.

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