[thoughts from ~burning woman~ by Sha’Tara]
How does anyone know that “a thing is such a thing” and how does he carry that “thing image” with him so he can remember it, or share it with another? How does anyone know that this particular thing did not become something else when he wasn’t looking at it? Well, seems to me there’s but one way to accomplish this feat of knowing: it’s called language and language is made up of words; words that certain groups of people have learned to use in a particular way so they can understand (or lie to) one-another.
In the movie “Nell” a young woman living alone in the bush – I think it was in Tennessee – developed her own language and when she was discovered, no one could understand her. The first (and typically Earthian) assumption was that she was retarded. Finally it became obvious that her language was quite adequate for her personal use, as she had no one to communicate with: both her twin sister and her mother had died and she had buried them both – after a fashion, in her own way. Interestingly, her language allowed her to talk to her dead sister – but not to the people who found her.
So while Nell could “see” the things around her with her own language, she could not communicate this to others until she learned to speak the language of those strangers who came to her.
What would happen if we lost our ability to communicate via words or other types of written symbols; if we could not use our hands or vocal chords to write symbols or make sounds that communicated specific things? Would “civilization” as we know it collapse? Why is language so important and so powerful?
There is an interesting anecdote in the bible about an event called “the tower of Babel” where, it is written, “God” (and obviously other individuals, the reference is plural) decided to “confuse” man’s language at that place. Prior to this time man had but one single universal language which made him very powerful, so powerful that even the gods feared what he may accomplish through this vocal cooperation. Man was able to communicate his ideas, his thoughts, his desires, in detail, to all and sundry. All could fully understand all – no misunderstanding was then possible. An oak was an oak, not a maple and not just a tree. Whatever was thought could be said in words and whatever was said in words was completely understood.
Let’s do the entire quote:
Ge. 11:1 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.
Ge. 11:2 As men moved eastward, [Or from the east; or in the east] they found a plain in Shinar [That is, Babylonia] and settled there.
Ge. 11:3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and bitumen for mortar.
Ge. 11:4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
Ge. 11:5 But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.
Ge. 11:6 The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.
Ge. 11:7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
Ge. 11:8 So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
Ge. 11:9 That is why it was called Babel — [That is, Babylon; Babel sounds like the Hebrew for confused.] because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
So, how are people scattered and made to distrust each other? It begins with “confusing” their language into several alien ones. That’s how powerful a language is. But there is more. Now this from the Christian New Testament, Gospel according to John:
Jn. 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn. 1:2 He was with God in the beginning.
Jn. 1:3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Interesting? Indeed, the “Word” was God (note past tense – also interesting) and not only so, but only through the Word can any “thing” be “made” (also interesting that the writer does NOT say “create” but made, indicating that creation was already a fait accompli) but since without the “Word” there would be no way to describe it, it remained “in darkness” so to speak, in the realm of the unreal. But when God spoke the “Word” what was until then indescribable was described, became “real” and it’s been that way ever since. Nothing is “real” until there is a word, a name, to describe it. One of Adam’s first tasks in the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 2:20) was to give names to all the animals and birds. Since Adam was all alone there, according to the tale, why bother? Obviously, because there is more to this than we were ever told.
While I’m at this, I mustn’t forget to mention that the term “Word” used by the writer of the Gospel of John is not an original Hebrew term, but Greek. The Word is the Logos. In ancient Greek usage, Logos was understood to have several meanings. Here’s another quote (and if the links come through, have fun following them!).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Logos (/ˈ, /ˈ, or /ˈ; Greek: loʊɡoʊs/lɒɡɒs/loʊɡɒs/λόγος, from λέγω lego "I say") is an important term in philosophy, psychology, rhetoric, and religion. Originally a word meaning "a ground", "a plea", "an opinion", "an expectation", "word", "speech", "account", "to reason" [1][2] it became a technical term in philosophy, beginning with Heraclitus (ca. 535–475 BC), who used the term for a principle of order and knowledge.[3]
Ancient philosophers used the term in different ways. The sophists used the term to mean discourse, and Aristotle applied the term to refer to "reasoned discourse"[4] or "the argument" in the field of rhetoric.[5] The Stoic philosophers identified the term with the divine animating principle pervading the Universe.
Although the term "Logos" is widely used in this Christian sense, in academic circles it often refers to the various ancient Greek uses, or to post-Christian uses within contemporary philosophy, Sufism, and the analytical psychology of Carl Jung.
What was it that so frightened “God” or to be more accurate, “the gods,” on the plain of Shinar? What was man building that was such a threat? And why is man’s “language” the key to this construct? According to archaeologist Zecharia Sitchin, writer of “The Earth Chronicles” the Babel construct was nothing less than a launching pad for rocket ships. A bit of a jump that, yes? Rocket ships 4000 years BCE? Crazy? Or simply that a good section of earth man’s history has been deliberately erased and replaced with gobbledygook that everybody swallowed, and continues to swallow – because it’s official; it’s in the Bible; it’s taught as gospel in all of man’s educational institutions, no counter theories considered or allowed. That’s it. Now it comes down to conspiracy theorists, i.e., to the ridicule of the establishment.
Modern man, by observation on my part, has become the proverbial sheep and sheep as some people may still remember, are followers. That’s why one shepherd can watch over large numbers of sheep, with a couple of dogs as policemen to ensure the sheep toe the line – so they’re there for the shearing and the slaughter – the end use of all sheep. Wouldn’t do if the sheep ever discovered that the shepherd is in league with the wolves and often indistinguishable from the wolves. Quote: “The main concern of the shepherd is to convince the sheep that’s he’s really on their side.”
And that’s where the rubber hits the road: the sheep, but for the few “conspiracy theorists” among them, learn early on to simply trust the shepherd: it’s so much easier that way. There’s protection from the wolves and a dry barn at night. And for that, all you have to do is allow yourself to be sheared… and turned into lamb chops. Of course, in the official confusion of language, that only happens to the other guy; the bad guy as it turns out. If some good guys get sheared, or turned into lamb chops, that happened because they were fighting against the bad guys, against the wolves, against the ungodly. They aren’t victims, they are heroes, martyrs even, see?
And that’s what happens when people are confused by their own languages. Why are they confused? Because they’ve been lied to for thousands of years and it is now de-rigueur to believe the lie and call the truth a lie. The Word, the Logos, no longer exists. It’s gone, as are those ancient smart guys who knew what it meant. Now all the sheep have for the Word is what the shepherd tells them it means. If there be sheep among the flock who disbelieve, they must be marked for special medication.
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The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for. (Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations)
In a time of universal deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act. (George Orwell)
Really Man (Humans) Have Been Erasing It
Themselves (Committing Suicide)Since
Beginning Of Time...
Humans All (Religious Crap Beliefs)You
Think Believe You Are Infallible...
TRASK...
TRASK...
"How do we know....?" yes that is a great question and the answer is in the Bible. However, it takes a Biblical scholar to see things I cannot see sometimes. That's why we have Bible Study teachers and Biblical Preachers. Like any profession, there are GREAT ones and there are duds. I like to listen to Joyce Myers and Miles Monroe. They are down to earth, nitty-gritty speakers of the Word. Loved Joyce 's book and DVD series titled. Battlefield of the Mind" because really this life is all about a battle between good and evil. Miles Monroe on the other hand writes and talks about the "Kingdom of God" where we are here for ONE purpose, to serve Him. Go forward my friend, in your pursuit for the truth. LOVE is an invisible power we cannot live without. If what the Bible says is true, GOD is LOVE" I guess we cannot live happily ever after without GOD. Amen!
Peace, Love and Blessings,
John Michael
Love ya!
Jane
My feeble brain was having trouble following your logic, but I believe you were trying to discern why people quite literally believe the words in the Bible, especially since they are told the meaning by their shepherds repeatedly.
Ron
Nonetheless, Regis, I'm glad see that you are reading the Bible; and so much so, I don't think that you are very far from a place Heaven. Who knows if you won't finish up a preacher? My advise to you is to press on going the right way! Blessings!!!