Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A quick thought on Social Justice from Malachi
"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty. -- Malachi 3:5
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Space aliens?
ReplyDeletewhy discriminate based on planet of origin? injustice is injustice. hasn't avatar taught you anything?!! (we still haven't seen the movie, btw. a fact which anna reminds me of almost daily.)
ReplyDeleteIt was okay. But you see the ending from a mile away...
ReplyDeletei can see the ending already and i haven't even watched the beginning yet.
ReplyDeleteIt's THAT good. ;)
ReplyDeleteperhaps it seems that the more modern word 'immigrants' may be needed
ReplyDeleteor maybe "foreigners"? I'm just thinking aloud here, but the word "immigrants" says to me something like: people who have come here recently from somewhere else. whereas I think the concept in the original context is to do with how we treat those who live amongst us who are from a different nation - perhaps the equivalent modern term is "members of ethnic minorities". if I try to transfer the concept to the UK these days, I find myself thinking of blacks who may be second or third generation but are still viewed by some as not belonging here, or what is referred to as Asians (i.e. people from India, Pakistan and that neck of the woods).
ReplyDeleteoh, D knows full well that's what it means. he's just a geek showing his geekiness. (or should i say "nerd" showing his "full frontal nerdity".)
ReplyDeleteyeah, i think that's an accurate description.
ReplyDeletesurely that is what is meant by the word 'aliens' in the context of where it's mentioned in the O.T....
ReplyDeletewith the injunction to treat them fairly and compassionately
in that they are usually rejected [as you say, no matter how long they have been somewhere]
I think 'immigrants' is the current word that reflects the concerns that I see being expressed in the O.T.
'foreigners' can be used of those who are still in other countries
some people 55-60+ here still say 'foreigners' about almost anyone different [here or abroad]
but most say 'immigrants,' these days, as that is the term the media tends to use.
I know
ReplyDeletebut I really wasn't just saying it for the sake of one person...
but to highlight it's relevance to today
I don't think you quite got my point, smudge. I think the term "immigrants" doesn't cover it, because it doesn't include second and third (and so forth) generations. I don't think the term "ger" in the Bible (translated as "alien") refers solely to those who have recently arrived.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean though about "foreigners" not being precise enough as it includes people who live in other countries. Perhaps "foreign residents" would be more precise. The word "ger" implies residence.
(sorry, Meg, tell me to shut up if I'm over-pedanticising your post...)
i think alien works well. people who come over are aliens because they're newly from the other land. but their kids and kids' kids and so on remain aliens to the extent that they live differently or eat differently or look different, etc.
ReplyDeleteyes, I think "alien" works just fine, in the context it's obvious what it's about.
ReplyDeleteout of curiosity, I just had a little look through various translations on Bible Gateway. there are several that use "alien", several that use "foreigners", the old King James uses "stranger", a few use "sojourner", one says "outsiders" (New International Reader's Version, which I hadn't heard of), the Amplified says "the temporary resident" (interesting, I thought), the Message infuriated me by saying "the homeless" (because I'm really sorry but that's a whole different issue), and my favourite was the New Living Translation which said "the foreigners living among you".
Resolve this.
ReplyDeleteIt's still in theaters, and is worth the trip.
Although you wait a few more weeks, and it'll be out on DVD/BluRay.
But I would suggest, *do* see it in the theater.
... when it comes to the cheap theater. :-P i'm in no hurry.
ReplyDeleteCheap Theater won't do 3D.
ReplyDeleteSee it in 3D.
Aloha,
Michael.
dude, 3-d for 5 people at a regular theater don't come cheap. and there's that whole "how we use our resources" thing.
ReplyDeleteI do understand the ... reluctance.
ReplyDeleteBut consider, this movie is STILL in theaters about 3 months after it premiered.
There's movies to wait until they come to the Cheap Theater, and there's movie events that should be splurged on, if only a little bit.
Having seen it 4x myself, I would assert this movie is an example of the latter case. :)
Aloha,
Michael.