After reading some threads here that are primarily written by
people from another country than the one I live in, I see subtle
differences in the use of words, or a turning of a phrase that are
not common where I live. Language is always changing, there
are new words added all the time to our dictionaries each year.
Is the internet molding the world’s languages into a common
tongue?
Thinking about this reminded me of a Biblical story.
1 And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a
plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.
3 And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn
them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they
for mortar.
4 And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top
may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
5 And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
6 And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all
one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will
be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.
7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they
may not understand one another's speech.
8 So Jehovah scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all
the earth: and they left off building the city.
9 Therefore was the name of it called Babel; because Jehovah did
there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did
Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Kelly
Originally posted by KellyJayI always thought this was one of the oddest stories in the Bible. An Almighty Deity worried about a bunch of clowns making a tower out of brick and slime ("nothing will be withholden from them"?), so he had to screw up their one language? Couldn't He have just smote 'em or something? And why is he talking in the plural ("let us go down"😉; how many other Almighty Gods are there hanging out? It's obviously a story to explain something that primitive goat herders couldn't figure out - why there are different languages - but are there still people out there who think this little tidbit is LITERALLY true?
After reading some threads here that are primarily written by
people from another country than the one I live in, I see subtle
differences in the use of words, or a turning of a phrase that are
not common where I live. Language is always changing, there
are new words added all the time to our dictionaries each year.
Is the internet molding the world’s ...[text shortened]... rth: and from thence did
Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Kelly
Originally posted by KellyJayLike most of the Bible, I have never understood the point of these little stories. Is God offended by multi-story structures?
After reading some threads here that are primarily written by
people from another country than the one I live in, I see subtle
differences in the use of words, or a turning of a phrase that are
not common where I live. Language is always changing, there
are new words added all the time to our dictionaries each year.
Is the internet molding the world’s ...[text shortened]... rth: and from thence did
Jehovah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Kelly
Originally posted by steerpikeYep. I was just talking to her about that. She really is pissed.
Like most of the Bible, I have never understood the point of these little stories. Is God offended by multi-story structures?
<edit> ahemmmm.... in as much as everybody has their own 'story'. She doesn't like it when people take a silly application of time and energy, chemistry, physics and invents a center of the universe. Really pissed. Why, just today she created over ten solar systems and a hundred planets. In this little universe alone! She is quite adamant about that. No more claiming you own her! Just because five billion years ago she instigated a silly little star and ten tiny little planets! Don't ask about poor old ten. Random chance and reality. Ugly. Just like nature. Who do you think you are anyway? Trying to tell her what she can and can't do! Shame on you. Silly little chimps! Fer cryin' out loud, most of you can't eve feed yourselves! You think the world owes it to you as a "Social Obligation". Get a job. <giggle>
Important chimps?
She says "not".
Originally posted by KellyJayYes. I have always thought it was curious, especially when I'm in an airplane at 30,000+ feet and I don't see any angels or pearly gates or anything.
After reading some threads here that are primarily written by
people from another country than the one I live in, I see subtle
differences in the use of words, or a turning of a phrase that are
not common where I live. Language is alway ...[text shortened]... vah scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
Kelly
3 And they said one to another, Come, let us make brick, and burn
them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they
for mortar.
Really, one language or not, how big did Jehovah think the tower was going to get with that crude-ass technology?
4 And they said, Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we be
scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.
A noble cause. "Reach unto heaven?" Where exactly is heaven anyway? I doubt they could get more than a thousand feet up with the tools they had.
5 And Jehovah came down to see the city and the tower, which the
children of men builded.
So much for omnipresence, or omniscence for that matter. "Hey, just me Jehovah stopping through to check out the city and tower that I obviously already knew all about from the moment of creation."
6 And Jehovah said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all
one language; and this is what they begin to do: and now nothing will
be withholden from them, which they purpose to do.
That's it! Everybody go learn Esperaza and we can do anything! Wait maybe it's programming language. Open Source Code. Did Microsoft ever edit the OT?
7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
Well, thanks a lot Satan, uh I mean Jehovah. Notice the word "us." So which member of the trinity thought up this idea? Did all three say it to themselves at the same time kinda like the Oracle in the Neverending Story?
I don't know about you, but reading about Jehovah's little tirade here makes me nervous about the Freedom Tower in NY.
Here's another thought, "tower" is a phallic image. The tower was getting too tall. It threated God. Hmm . . . don't have to be a psychoanalyst to figure out what's really going on here 🙂 .
Originally posted by AThousandYoungYea.
I wonder if Osama bin Laden really IS God's handmaiden (Handmaid? Handbutler? Handyouth?) on Earth? Knocking down really big towers of successful civilizations...
If you are a luddite who thinks animals are people. And can't stand the thought that just by "being" we ruin the world.
We do you know. Ruin it all. Every act and deed destroys it. The wonderful, beautiful world.
That is why we have brains. And need to go out into the universe where virtually all of the energy and resouces reside.