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Be intellectually honest!
If you are going to compare your religion with that of your competitors, be intellectually honest about it–
don’t play the deceptive mind game of comparing your religious best with their religious worst; rather,
compare your best with their best, and your worst with their worst.
And, if your competitor excels you in any practice [or belief], be humble enough to admit it, trying to make it
part of your own experience.
And from whence do we know this? We know it from Moses, who followed Jethro’s legal advise, even
though the latter refused to follow Israel into the wilderness.
As is written: “Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to
represent the people before God and bring their cases to him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and
teach them the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-
fearing, trustworthy, and hating dishonest profit. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands,
hundreds, fifties, and tens…
... They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every major case but judge every minor
case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear it with you. If you do this, and
God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied…
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said… [and] Moses let his father-in-law go
, and
he journeyed to his own land”- Exodus 18:19-24, &27 (Christian Standard Bible)
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Who is a Reformed Samaritan
Unlike what most people usually think, Reformed Samaritanism isn’t Rabbinical Judaism, Orthodox
Samaritanism, Evangelical Christianity, nor Sunni Islam. Instead, it is an inclusive version of the ancient
Hebrew faith; one in which Moses five books [and it’s Ten “Laws”, or “Commandments”] are the final and
supreme theological authority.
As is written: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it,
that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”- Deuteronomy 4:2, King
James Bible.
But, if focused only on Moses five books of Torah, in what sense can Reformed Samaritanism be considered
to be “inclusive”? It is so due to the fact that, although not recognizing them as equally inspired as Moses
Law, Reformed Samaritans consider the remaining holy books (Hebrew prophets, Gospels, Talmud, Quran,
Kabbalah, etc) to be useful and practical “expository literature”-- religious explanation that is particularly
attuned to address the individual needs of the different racial, social, and cultural backgrounds.
And the net result of the former perspective is that the theology that characterizes Reformed Samaritans can
be best summarized by the following allegory: “Push away [with your left hand] any Jewish, Samaritan,
Christian, or Muslim religious tenet that denies, contradicts, or undermines the Word of God uttered by our
master Moses; But bring close to you [with your right hand] any Jewish, Samaritan, Christian, or Muslim
tenet that recognizes, establish, and/or enforces the Divine truthfulness of Moses original teachings”.
And how can a man [or a woman] know if he is a Reformed Samaritan? It’s really easy! You see, no matter
what race [or creed] this man belongs to, he becomes a Reformed Samaritan the very moment he rallies
enough intellectual honesty to publicly acknowledge the fact that Divine Judgment consist of forcing each
man to “reap” the same “fruit” he has previously “planted” (“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A
man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever
sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life”- Galatians 6:6-8, NIV Bible).
How does a Reformed Samaritan goes about making the former acknowledgment? He publicly utters the
following confession: “I bear witness that no other theology is greater, more just, more truthful, nor more
meaningful than “Sowing and Reaping” (also known as “measure for measure”)-- The final triumph of
Goodness over Evil; The Divine Law by means of which the Creator [blessed be He] guarantees to reward
each man with the same measure of kindness [and justice] such man has freely [and willingly] bestowed
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upon his fellow creatures; and to punish that man with the same measure of evil [and injustice] he has freely
and willingly bestowed upon his fellow creatures (without ever repenting from it). Amen”.
“
Beware of falsehood, as the illusion that flatters [and exalts] our ego is dearer to us than ten thousand
truths!”
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