Do you think holiness is subjective or absolute?

Question

Do you think that what makes a document holy is our interpretations of it? Or are certain things inherently "holy"? If you believe that one document or relic is holy, can you acknowledge that other documents/relics are holy to other peoples belonging to different religions? Personally I am an atheist, but I go to a Jewish school, and this was a topic we discussed in Prayer Service (Tfillah). I found the question philosophical: "Is a Torah holy if no one is there to read/understand it?" is similar to, "If a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, did it make a sound?" OK, so it's kind of a stock question, but the answers of my classmates were pretty varied, so I am curious to discuss this further.

Answer 1

Nothing is sacred. No-one is righteous. Everything will burn.

Answer 2

I think that Judeo Chrsitian documents are sacred because of their relational status.  They are God's interaction with people.  That does not mean that they are subjective.  If they have the same sacred relationship for all people then they are universal and objective in the sense that it is not dependent on which person they have meaning for.   They have meaning because of their meaning for mankind.

Answer 3

Holiness is an objective reality, believe it or not. It has to do with setting something apart unto the service of God only. This is a purely physical thing that can be done by any careful person, and is measurable. For example, the cup, plate, wine and bread used in the Eucharist at church are made holy by keeping them separate from the rest of the world. The cup and plate are kept in a small chamber in the chapel, washed and put away by only one person. They never leave the building once they have been blessed by the priest and dedicated to this service. They are never used by anyone else or for any other purpose than to serve the communion. The wine and bread are blessed by the priest during the service and must be completely consumed, not thrown out or given away. In this way, these items are made holy. This was the point of all of those cleanliness laws in the OT. What I have described is making something holy unto God in the Christian faith, but other religions do similar things.

Answer 4

All depends upon your own intensity of beliefs. Though beliefs are mostly subjective, and do keep on changing with new experiences. Take the example of a most believed relationship. We all believe our mother's word that Mr so is our father. But, if suddenly someone comes to know about another person in his mother's life, he will obviously develop a doubt on his mother's words and about his father's name.

Answer 5

Anything that is dedicated to God, and that is accepted by him, becomes holy.

The Torah is the written Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, so it is most certainly "holy".

It would remain so, even if the heavens and the earth passed away.

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Answer 6

I think it's a moot point.

Answer 7

Exactly what part of "God knows, see's and hears all do you have a problem with'? It's immaterial to us here on earth.If God's Word says it, it is so. 1 Peter1:14-16; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be holy ; for I am holy.  Father God loves you so much, He gives you choices, options. He created you to have a close personal, loving relationship with Him, but it's still you decision to accept or reject. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, listen to Me and have eternal life, listen to the snake, and be condemned to death. Just like you and me, listen to Jesus, and live in heaven for eternity, or listen to Satan, and have eternal death and suffer in h**l. You will find some info. listed below that is enlightening. If you are "really" curious, do the research. May The Lord bless you and open your eyes to The Truth.