Perfect Parent
As a perfect parent, with a perfectly behaved child I found a conversation I had with a friend who is at bible collage today particularly funny. He complained to me about all the restrictive rules they have in place and informed me that one of them was no alcohol on site at all. He told me that he is a bit rebellious and drinks occasionally in his room with his friend.
What he had failed to realise is that the collage has done a very good job of “putting a fence around the law”. If the collage doesn’t want people to get drunk and rowdy throwing wild parties at the collage, they could create a rule that says “don’t get drunk”. This is open to a whole range of interpretations and some people would break it. Instead they have made the rule, don’t drink at all. Some people still have their act of rebellion and have the odd drink feeling pleased with themselves that they are breaking the rules, but they don’t actually break the rule the collage is really worried about. By putting up a rule in front of the rule they are worried about they create “a fence” as it’s referred to in Judaism.
It is this same method I intend to apply with my child. The rules I will set in place will be more ridge and stricter than I care about, so that when my child rebels (I know its unlikely) they can do so without doing anything to terrible.
I note that there have been some sceptics out there, some, mentioning no names, have questioned whether I will in fact be a perfect father, and whether in fact I will have a perfect child (the wife has ruled out the purchase of a baby grow that says on it “cuter than baby Jesus”). Some people – and I hesitate to even say this – say that babies often just cry! For no reason! That no matter how much you point out to them that this is in appropriate behaviour that they do so anyway. This thought has begun to concern me a little I will admit..but I am taking a firm stand. Denial is clearly the way forward.
Syndrome thingy what’s it ligaments.
For those who are following this bit of the story – and have asked questions about how the long suffering wife is coping – painfully. Nothing much more I can say on the subject.
Books for my course
I have got the first few books for my course through (I got a book grant! Wooo hooo!) and I note that one of the books, the set books, compulsory reading, was written by the tutor…now that is a clever move! A cynic (So clearly not me) might say that this was a cunning way to increase your book sales, however I am sure that the tutors book is the very best one available on the subject, how could it be less?
Yours as ever,
The perfectly broken man.
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6 comments:
I hope your wife feels better. Pregnancy makes you feel all sorts of strange things. Has she felt the baby hiccup yet? If she hasn't , then just wait. If the baby hiccups that a whole other set of weird feelings. You will think its cute - she will feel like shes having mini earthquakes in her belly:))
Me, I believe that God himself doesn't use fences in that sense, and that as wise as Judaism is Jesus came to remove the hedge around Torah because it was preventing people from building an honest relationship with God. Perhaps by making rules you don't mean and leaving uncertainty about the statements you make, the hedge is really between you and the child rather than between the child and danger?
I prefer to be taken seriously, and hope that clearly explaining the consequences of behaviour I don't like (without using it as blackmail) they will avoid anything that will really hurt them. But that free will thing is tricky, and manipulating it in any way is also a tricky business and can backfire.
Best to come at it with the attitude of Christ, who tore down the curtain - and explained the purpose and usefulness and fullness of Torah.
Oh, you had to say something sensible, didn't you?!
Now I'm going to have to re-think the whole plan! :)
The Broken Man
My first reaction was similar to arwen_tiw's. She worded it well. Yes, He removed that middle wall of partition.
It seems to me that saying "no alcohol on site" is a tease. The heart of the matter is, we don't want you to get drunk, in so many ways it is destructive. An approach that shows you care about students' well-being might be more effective.
Also, Broken Man, I don't see a way to contact you other than a 'comment'. I have a request, not a theology question/comment, and wondered if I could e-mail you w/it? An atheism situation. If OK, email me at garnetgirl@netzero.net.
I know you are very busy.
Your wit slays me!
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