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                                   %GUILTY PROPHETS 770623

     Prophets  speak  truth to power.   They do  not  tell
their  hearers  that  all  that  is  required  is  greater
faithfulness   to  existing  conceptions  of   responsible
behavior.  Prophets call into question current idolatries.
When those idolatries involve legalism,  prophets  may  be
punished for challenging the  idolatry.  The  high priests
of  the idolatry have much to lose if the idolatry  falls.
Thus the scribes and pharisees arrange to lay  on prophets
a sense of guilt for violating the legalistic restrictions
on  humane behavior,   even  when those   violations  were
prompted by a profound and sacrificial love which sees the
impropriety  of   the legalistic code.  Thus legalists may
seek  to  find prophets guilty of violating the  religious
imperatives of the day.

     A prophet is honored except in his own country.    It
is  hard for adult religious leaders to accept hard truths
from  the young at heart among  them.   Thus they are more
likely  to  accept hard  truths from out-of-towners.   The
out-of-towner may not be required  to conform to the local
taboos and traditions as rigidly as the local youth.  Thus
the   out-of-towner   may  more  readily  get  away   with
challenging  the local customs and traditions.   Thus  the
prophet from out of town is more likely to be honored than
the like prophet in his own town.

     Guilt  presumably  serves to guide people  to  behave
wisely by keeping people from doing those "unwise"  things
which will generate guilt.   The actual result is just the
reverse.    Guilt  generates alienation (from  others  and
self)    and   so  blocks  communication  which   is   the
prerequisite to wise decisions and actions.  Those who are
most  guilty of sin are those who promote guilt  feelings,
as means to control.  They promote sin by their efforts to
promote   conformity  to  standards  of   good   behavior.
Promoters of guilt should thus  not  by honored by lovers,
even though lovers may helpfully love them as their way of
seeking to  promote reconciliation.   The way of love does
not  include  the  promotion of judgmental acts and/or of
guilt.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
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