Posts Tagged ‘“in vain”’

For those who argue over the existence of language, God, or atheism

April 5, 2012
Photo of Jonathan G. Meath portraying Santa Cl...

Photo of Jonathan G. Meath portraying Santa Claus. Date approximate. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)



For those who argue over the existence of language
Does language exist? Sure, we can perceive patterns, so we know that perceiving exists and we also know patterns of perceiving exist, but what about language? Does it exist or not?
For those of us who can not only hear but also are fluent in a particular language being spoken, we can perceive patterns of sounds and interpret them in to words and then in to sequence of words that produce stimulation of things like neurons that trigger memories. We can label all of that process as language.
For those of us who can not only see but also can read, we can perceive patterns of shapes and interpret them in to letters and make words out of them and then we can label that literacy, which is also language. However, literacy is a huge technological advance over spoken language.
We can count all numeric symbols as literacy and we can name all written symbols to also be part of literacy. We can even include in our definition of language things like physical gestures, such as waving or nodding or even complex things like the signals that officials in sporting events use.


So, for sake of argument, let’s presume for at least a moment that there is such a thing as language or at least there could be. Now, what would be some of it’s attributes?
Is language an individuality as in a person or isolated organism? Language clearly is not exclusive to any specific individual or organism. We can call language transpersonal (or just non-personal or impersonal).
Is language temporary? Language is the source of all units of time, so we could even say that language is beyond time, is the source of time, and was prior to time. We could say that language is eternal, that language is both the beginning and the end, that before any particular identifying in language existed, such as “Abraham,” language is already present.
We could say that language is the root of all identifying and of all identities. We could say that language is the source of all linguistic events or processes, such as communication or interpretation or translation.
We could make lots of comments about language. All of the comments would be instances of language already. We might even say that “if you are clear about the foundation of what language is, then all of the rest is mere commentary.”
Bible

Bible (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

Now, if you happen to be familiar with certain linguistic constructions that are popular within a branch of language called Christianity, then you may recognize many of the above references to the ancient spiritual texts of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and so on. So, with that in mind, consider the following scenario.
Along time ago, there once lived a man named Santa Claus who talked a lot about a great secret. Certain people understood some of what he said and a few people understood a lot of what he said, but he was basically considered to be very weird and unusual and odd and abnormal. He occasionally said really bizarre things like “Knowing the great secret is the most important thing that you can do. Here are some of the infinite qualities of the great secret, but these are only a few of them. First, the great secret is eternal. When the first distinctions were made between heaven and earth, the great secret was already there and the great secret was the process by which the first distinctions in language were made, for the distinctions of language are language and of course language is in them and those distinctions are in language. By the way, language is the great secret and it is not really all that secret and possibly not all that great, but I had to say something to get your attention and if I have your attention now, then whatever I said worked to get you here, right? Anyway, the great secret is not just an individual, but it is within every individual just as within every branch is the life of the tree which gives life to the branches. Further, when you recognize the fundamental authority of the great secret of language, then any secondary authorities or instructions will instantly be recognized as merely formations of language, which is the great secret. Any formations in language are not themselves the great secret. Anything that can be spoken is not the great secret, which I like to call Tao.”
Now, all of that was very strange and intriguing to some folks. So, they talked about what Santa Claus had said and then, perhaps only a few decades later, they wrote down their best recollections of what he had said, plus some of their own commentaries and their letters to each other. They called themselves titles like Apostles and Prophets and Christians and they collected their various written records in to scrolls and books and called them things like the Bible and Torah and Talmud and Gitas and Sutras and Taoist Classics.
Then, along came a four year-old who was assigned by some king the task of making a single authorized translation of those ancient writings in to the English language from Greek. The four year-old was not Greek, by the way, but she insisted that she was a very big girl now that she was “this many” years old and she asserted that she was very smart and of course she could make an excellent and complete translation of these books. It is not like they were about something obscure and subtle like algebra or biochemistry or mythical archetypes of psychological astro-theology, right?
So, anyway, she wrote about a category in language called Logos and she translated that word as “Word” instead of as language or linguistics or “the great secret.” Then for hundreds or even thousands of years, lots of people worshiped the words that she wrote and completely missed the “spirit” of the original revelations. Ironically, a lot of what she wrote about was warnings about people worshiping specific words and neglecting the spirit or value of the communication carried through the words.
Logo of the Aston Language Centre

One of the least famous "Logos" in the world, the logo of the Aston Language Centre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with …

… The Lord says, “These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with
their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their … 
//bible.cc/isaiah/29-13.htm – 17k

Matthew 15:8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their …

“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. … These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. …
//bible.cc/matthew/15-8.htm – 16k

Mark 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about …

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is
written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from …
//bible.cc/mark/7-6.htm – 17k

Matthew 15:9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but …

… but it is in vain they worship Me, while they lay down
precepts which are mere human rules.'” …
//bible.cc/matthew/15-9.htm – 16k

Mark 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules …

… in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ … …
//bible.cc/mark/7-7.htm – 15k

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him …

… they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as … Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not … God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their …
//bible.cc/romans/1-21.htm – 17k

Psalm 127:1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds …

… [A song by Solomon for going up to worship.] If the LORD does not build … Except the
LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the …
//bible.cc/psalms/127-1.htm – 16k

Hosea 12:11 Is Gilead wicked? Its people are worthless! Do they …

… But the people of Gilead are worthless because of their idol worship. … If Galaad be
an idol, then in vain were they in Galgal offering sacrifices with …
//bible.cc/hosea/12-11.htm – 16k

Isaiah 44:9 All who make idols are nothing, and the things they …

… The people who worship idols don’t know this, so they are all put … Everyone who makes
an engraved image is vain. The things that they delight in will not profit …
//bible.cc/isaiah/44-9.htm – 16k

Jonah 2:8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace …

… Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. … They
that are vain observe vanities, forsake their own mercy. …
//bible.cc/jonah/2-8.htm – 14k

Colossians 2:18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility …

… denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had … making little of himself and
giving worship to angels … the things which he hath not seen, in vain puffed up …
//bible.cc/colossians/2-18.htm – 18k

Isaiah 1:13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is …

… and your special days for fasting–they are all … Bring no more vain offerings; incense
is an abomination to me … New Moon Festivals, your days of worship, and the …
//bible.cc/isaiah/1-13.htm – 16k


Isaiah 29:13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with …

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their …
//bible.cc/isaiah/29-13.htm – 17k

Matthew 15:8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Matthew 15:9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'”

Mark 7:6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

Mark 7:7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’

Colossians 2:22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

Ezekiel 33:31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.

Jeremiah 12:2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts.

Psalm 50:16
But to the wicked, God says: “What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips.


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Secret Santa (The Office)

Secret Santa (The Office) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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