“DCP” wrote: If you’re in Utah or planning to be in Utah between now and sometime in October, you really should stop by the free, full-scale, outdoor “Tabernacle of the Old Testament” exhibit that is running in various locations here. Currently, in fact, and continuing on through 15 August, the Tabernacle stands on the park area immediately adjacent to my own Orem stake center. Another reproduction of the Tabernacle is in South Jordan through this Wednesday, 2 August, and will then be moving to Bluffdale/Riverton 5-27 August.
“Some thoughtful LDS commenters wrote:1) My kids helped at this tabernacle and enjoyed it.
As I went through it, I couldn't help but wonder how we'd feel if some baptists recreated our temple experience rather accurately, but then interpreted it as some kind of masonic Egyptian worship to visitors.
Is it fair to reinterpret Jewish religious practices like this? I was surprised the church was so directly involved considering the sensitivities in this area.
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2) I had much the same reaction when it was in Bountiful last year. It helped that they also sponsored an interfaith fireside where a rabbi, an imam and a priest talked about what the "tent of meeting" signifies in their respective traditions. But yes, I found our selective reinterpretation of the Hebrew scriptures somewhat problematic, even if it is a tradition stretching back all the way to the New Testament authors.
One could argue that all of Christianity is an idiosyncratic interpretation of Judaism. So, if they have a problem with it, the 2 billion Christians of the world are probably going to shrug that off.
"He disturbs the laws of his country, he forces himself upon women, and he puts men to death without trial.” ~Otanes on the monarch, Herodotus Histories 3.80.
