Louisiana mandates 10 Commandments In Schools

[Gospel]

As a former Pig Latin geek, eway efusereay otay ieday.

 

[Jarhyn]

Or religious extremists.

Or numerology conspiracy theorists.

Or Latin geeks.

Religious extremists usually come from selective study.

Latin geeks? Entirely possible.

I wouldn't expect a biblical numerologist to happen though unless someone is already a numerologist with heavy schizoid affectation.

As a former Latin geek, ego hanc calumniam morior.

Something something (quotes Catullus).

 

[lpetrich]

[And if you do actually study the Bible, it has a tendency to make people become atheists (or depending on how well you study it, it makes people something much more unbearable to religious righties: actual followers of Christ).

then

Or religious extremists.

Or numerology conspiracy theorists.

Or Latin geeks.

Latin geeks? Why Latin and not Greek or Hebrew?

 

[bilby]

Latin geeks? Why Latin and not Greek

Because "Greek geeks" is too hard to say, and difficult to distinguish from "Geek Greeks".

 

[Politesse]

[And if you do actually study the Bible, it has a tendency to make people become atheists (or depending on how well you study it, it makes people something much more unbearable to religious righties: actual followers of Christ).

then

Or religious extremists.

Or numerology conspiracy theorists.

Or Latin geeks.

Latin geeks? Why Latin and not Greek or Hebrew?

It could happen, I'm sure. That said, while many Christian pastors and most theologians are at least somewhat conversant in Greek, they do not become full blown Hellenophiles quite as often. Or rather, if they do... well, true Greek geeks tend not to stay in the faith for long. The Vulgate is more conservatism-friendly, as it presents as a single codified text without mysteries or indecipherable passages. Whereas Greek editions of the NT are a bit of a mess in the best of times, written in a dialect that is only partially known today. It's fine if you only know a little bit of Greek, because the supplementary materials you use do a decent job of disguising the problem. But if you're really getting into the weeds, it becomes clear that there is no true autograph of the New Testament. Meanwhile, in an effort to gain a real grasp on things as a committed Greek student, you eventually start reading more of the classics to try and get your mind around what Koine is being compared to. But then you're reading Paul side by side with Plato, and the obvious contrasts are painful to a committed Christian. "God" is a truly mediocre writer compared to Sophocles. I speak of myself, of course, but I have known a great many fellow ex-seminarians in a similar situation.

Whereas with Latin, you can happily go as balls-deep into the language and its grammar as you like, and never endanger your faith. Jerome was a good writer, his language and dialect are exceptionally well known, and there aren't as many great Roman classics to unfavorably compare him to, either. Augustine likewise. No one leaves the faith in their Latin classes.

Loving Hebrew tends to push scholars in the direction of the faith whose principal ritual language that is, for somewhat similar reasons. Your average conservative pastor likely doesn't read Hebrew at all, they use Strong's. But if you're really going to get into the language, it puts you in contact with all the great rabbis of lore and literature, and you naturally come to prefer their more rational-minded interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures to the hamfisted Christian supercessionist version.

 

[Politesse]

Because "Greek geeks" is too hard to say, and difficult to distinguish from "Geek Greeks".

Sigma Xi represent, woop woop!