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1、TheProblemofTruthinJewish-MuslimRelations_____________________________________________________________________________Dr.ShaiHar-ElPeacepaper#3
2、June2011MiddleEastPeaceNetwork22TableofContentsPage1.Introduction32.TheConceptofGod’sTruth43.AnIllustratingParable54.MonotheismRedefined75.TheOneUniver
3、salRule106.OneTruthandManyTruths117.Conclusion138.FinalThoughtsinaPoeticForm159.Endnotes2122IntroductionThemostfundamentalcontemporaryissueconfrontingtherelationsbetweenJudaismandIslam,andconsequentlytherelationsbetweenIsraelisandArabs,istheprecedencetheircreedsgivetoTruth(withacapitalT),theabs
4、olutetruth,overallotherethicalvirtues.Thecommondictum,“AllTruthisGod’sTruth,”hasbecomethemainsourceofconflict,aseachreligiousgroupupholdstoandpropagatesitsownabsolutistversionofGod’sTruth.Insodoing,they“religiously”fallintotwotraps,bothatthesametime:First,the“relativitytrap”—wheneachgroupreject
5、stheviewthatalltruthsarerelativetotime,place,andculture.Second,the“exclusivitytrap”—wheneachassertsinabsolutetermsthatthereisonlyonemorallaw,onecode,onestandard,oneway,and“oursistherightone,becauseitisGod’s.”Eachgroupisconvincedfromitsdivineprerogativesthattheyaretheonlytruereligion,andclaimtha
6、t“wearerightbecausewepossesstheTruth;ifyoudifferfromus,youareanonbelieverorheretic,andyouareinerror.”TheproblemofTruthisthetruthoftheprobleminJewish-Muslimrelations.Theproblemisnotwhetherthereisabsolutetruthornot—thereis.Theproblemariseswhenindividualsandgroupsclaimtopossesstheabsolutetruth—the
7、irownversionofTruth.Theproblemisthattheycollapsetheword“truth”withapositiontheybelievein,whetherpoliticalorideological.Theproblemisthattruthcontainsbothastatementanditscontradiction.Thus,forabeliefsystemtobe“true,”alltheothersystemsmustbe“false.”Thisabsurdstand,takenhistoricallybyvariousbrandso
8、ffundamentalismandtotalitarianism,hasbeendisastrousinitsconsequencestotheinternalwell-beingofeachindividualreligiousgroup,andhasbeenevenmoredisastrousinitsimpactuponinter-religiousrelations.Wemustacceptthenotionthatone’struthistha