Why the Abraham-Isaac Story Needs To Be Rewritten

How do we instill a strong moral compass in ourselves and our children? In a world of fragmented ideals, equivocation and rampant relativism, how do we form moral fortitude that can withstand inquisition?

As I read on the subject, the concept of ‘initiation rites’ rose to focus. Initiation rites are unique constructs in human experience that mix power, pain, sacrifice, loyalty, humiliation and yes, morality. They are the gateway to ‘belonging’. In a world that has solved for almost all the needs of man, the need for belonging is the one remaining unfulfilled desire. The need for a sense of belonging is therefore the arena where moral questions are raised and resolved.

In this article, I will argue that preparing ourselves for the initiation rites that will cross our paths is a powerful way to build a strong moral compass.

Initiation rites range a wide gamut. On one end, are the innocent pranks like forcing newcomer students to wear underwear on their heads. On the other end, are the cruel practices of initiating children into warfare by forcing them to kill their own friends and parents. The common theme across these rituals is coercion, humiliation, irrationality and loyalty.

Nothing captured these sentiments more viscerally for me than a particular scene in the recent movie Bombshell. In this scene, Roger Ailes, Chairman and CEO of Fox News, tests the loyalty of an aspiring female news reporter (Kayla Pospisil) by sexually assaulting her. He had the power to raise or crush her — all she had to do was obey.

The Biblical scene that most paralleled this was the one of Abraham, Isaac and of the human-created concept of God that still holds sway over millions.

The story follows a classic initiation rite pattern. Power, sacrifice, irrationality and loyalty encircle a moral dilemma.

In the original version, God tells Abraham that Isaac, his only son, must be sacrificed (bound, throat slit and burnt) to prove loyalty. Abraham, like Kayla, submits himself to what he believes is the greatest power in the universe. Just as he was…