House-Elf Justice (was Re: Kreacher - workable solutions?)

[a_svirn]

No: HPFGUIDX 129643

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Katherine Coble <k.coble at c...> 
wrote:
> 
> On May 28, 2005, at 2:17 PM, a_svirn wrote:
> 
> > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Katherine Coble 
<k.coble at c...>
> >  wrote:
> >  >
> >  > On May 27, 2005, at 3:58 PM, a_svirn wrote:
> >  >
> >  > > --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Katherine Coble
> >  <k.coble at c...>
> >  > >  wrote:
> >  > >
> >  > >  >
> >  > >  > K:  But we should all be servants to our fellow human 
beings. 
> >  > >  > Demonized though the concept has become.   I understand 
that
> >  Laura
> >  > >  is
> >  > >  > using a very arcane definition of "servant", but one 
which
> >  finds
> >  > >  itself
> >  > >  > expressed throughout Judeo-Christian literature.
> >  > >  >
> >  > >
> >  > >  Could you perhaps elaborate a bit? Was there an eleventh
> >  commandment
> >  > >  added to the Decalogue recently? "Thau shalt be of service 
to
> >  thy
> >  > >  neighbor?" (Although servants are mentioned in the 10th 
aren't
> >  they?
> >  > >  As a "*thing* that is thy neighbor's" (emphasis mine).
> >  > >
> >  > >  a_svirn
> >  > >
> >  > >
> >  > >
> >  >
> >  > K:  Well, first in the bibles themselves.....
> >  >
> >  > How about the book of Phillippians, which discusses humility,
> >  chiefly
> >  > the humility of Christ?  Then there is the entire book of
> >  Philemon,
> >  > which concerns the slave Onesimus and how he is to be treated 
by
> >  his
> >  > master.    Or, perhaps looking for an even older reference, 
how
> >  about
> >  > Proverbs 31, where the virtuous woman is one who gets up 
early and
> >  > serves her household--including those that are in her employ.
> >  > <snip>
> >
> >  a_svirn:
> >  And where is the difference between these interpretations of the
> >  word `servant' and the one that, say, Lucius Malfoy favoured? I 
see
> >  nothing "arcane" in your examples. The same conventional meaning
> >  as `somebody who serves another, perfoming menial tasks'.
> >
> >
> 
> K:
> It's the concept that performing any kind of service can make you 
a 
> servant of someone--the task doesn't need to be menial.   Take for 
> example the overused American term "Public Servant".  One wouldn't 
> consider the Mayor of a town to be performing a menial task, yet 
he is 
> performing in service of another person or group of persons.   
That 
> definition seems to be slowly rendered arcane as people continue 
to 
> view servitude as an inferior position.   Laura and I both seem to 
be 
> saying that servitude can take many forms and not need be 
referring 
> only to menial tasks.
> 
> 
I think the word `arcane' is totally out of place here. What do you 
mean by "definitions that slowly rendered arcane?" Why "arcane"? 
Then you confuse the concepts of "service" and "servitude". I rather 
think any "public servant" would very much object if someone refers 
to their activities as to `servitude'. And, finally, you confuse the 
service to some "worthwhile cause" with services rendered to 
individuals. First is what "public servants" do. Second is what they 
shouldn't do while on duty.  

a_svirn