"Biblical Proportions" -- Political hyperbole?

[Swammerdami]

Some minutes ago I saw a post in this subforum mentioning "biblical proportions." Interesting phrase.

Since it suggests the Plagues that Yahweh sent against Pharaoh to free His People (or perhaps just the Trials of Job), it is usually hyperbole. It might be fun to accumulate examples of this usage. @ Mods — Eventually we should kill this thread or move it to the Lounge, but I thought we should first get some examples from politics.

My Googlings turned up one use of the phrase by George Bush-41 (he was bragging about defeating the Soviet Empire), and two more egregious biblical references by Republicans. Bush-43 made a peculiar appeal to the French President.

And we gather tonight at a dramatic and deeply promising time in our history, and in the history of man on earth. For in the past 12 months, the world has known changes of almost biblical proportions. And even now, months after the failed coup that doomed a failed system, I am not sure we've absorbed the full impact, the full import of what happened.

But Communism died this year.

Jacques, you and I share a common faith. You're Roman Catholic, I'm Methodist, but we are both Christians committed to the teachings of the Bible. We share one common Lord. Gog and Magog are at work in the Middle East. Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled. This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people's enemies before a new age begins.

Bush-43 did not use the phrase "biblical proportions" but I'm the thread operator and declare that Biblical connections mentioned this strongly surely qualify — they are more egregious than even the phrase. With that in mind, we shall also allow examples like this:

During the impeachment hearings in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Barry Loudermilk compared what was happening to Donald Trump to the "sham trial" of Jesus Christ. The Georgia Republican claimed that "[w]hen Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than Democrats have afforded this President in this process."

While this juxtaposition of President Trump and Jesus Christ is astonishing, scriptural references to support Trump and Trumpism have been used since 2016 with increasing frequency and boldness. Supporters defend Trump's controversial policies with passion, dismissing his unpresidential words and actions unapologetically.

Liberals also use the phrase, sometimes sarcastically imputing the phrase to Trumpists. I used the phrase on another message-board, though not politically. I referred to the 2011 Flood.

Spoiler: 2011 Flood

In 2011 Thailand suffered major flooding, especially in the Chao Phya River Basin Important computer parts became unavailable worldwide as industrial parks were under a meter of water. Over 5 million acres of farmland were destroyed. The country was divided into islands; Government advice was to "Think for yourselves."

Although I used the phrase "almost biblical proportions" to describe it, the flooding had little effect on my minimalist life-style. The local 7/Eleven was still open (though it offered no bread nor milk). Flooding details depended on influential persons who could send armed men to open or close flood gates. I think the Army sent multiple companies of infantry to guard the Chao Phya Dam itself: Were it opened, parts of North Central Thailand might have been saved, but the capital would have suffered greatly.

I'm not sure my "almost biblical proportions" should be cited for hyperbole. The World Bank called it the 4th costliest disaster at the time, behind only the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami (damaging Fukushima etc.), the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake (which killed 6400 people near Kobe), and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. (The 2004 Tsunami killed far more people than all these disasters put together, but I guess it wasn't so "costly.")

Infidels: Besides Bush, Bush, and Loudermilk, have other politicians made outlandish references to the Bible?

 

[Bomb#20]

 

[Elixir]

 

[steve_bank]

As cultural metaphor biblical proportion refers to the scope and consequences of an issue.

Consequences of climate change are fast becoming biblical in scale.

Somebody acting like Moses down from the mountain means somebody on a high horse preaching down to people.

Or ...Who do ou thonk yiu are, Jesus walkng on the wter?

I grew up hearing biblical meta[pors.

When I drove cross country the first time in the 70s and crossed Kansas in the summer for me experience of the wide open spaces for the first time when it was all lush and green was 'biblical'.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

When I drove cross country the first time in the 70s and crossed Kansas in the summer for me experience of the wide open spaces for the first time when it was all lush and green was 'biblical'.

My experiences have had just the opposite effect. For example the first time I toured Carlsbad Caverns I remember how this made all my religious experiences seem unimportant and phony.

 

[steve_bank]

Metaphor is an important part of communication.

Just because I am atheist does not mean I don't find biblical metaphor and stories useful. Or Buddhidt, or himdu, or <uslim eiter.

If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain. Good for many occasions.

 

[Hermit]

The nihilistic expression "Après moi, le déluge" has been attributed to Louis XIV after the French disastrously lost the battle of Roßbach against Frederick the Great in 1757. It was a reference to Noah's flood.

It was put to good use by Karl Marx, when he wrote: "Après moi, le déluge! is the watchword of every capitalist and of every capitalist nation. Hence Capital is reckless of the health or length of life of the labourer, unless under compulsion from society."

The execrable D. H. Lawrence abused the expression when he called it "the tacit utterance of every man".

The British added a touch of dark humour. The Royal Air Force 617 Squadron adopted "Après moi, le déluge" as its motto. In 1943 the squadron became famous for busting dams in the Ruhr valley to smithereens, causing floods (albeit not of biblical proportions) and reducing electricity generation in that strategically important industrial region.

 

[steve_bank]

I'll John Wayne (or Rambo) my way through this debate.