learning the language

Confident Learner Joined: Apr 29, 2006 Posts: 99

When entering a foreign land, learning the native language is the easiest and most assurable method of gaining needed or desired information and services. In fact, it is more or less necessary.

Even among people who speak a common language, misunderstandings often arise. Different segments and subcultures of any given civilisation give birth to many different methods of expression. If a person who has been raised in economic disparity in a major city meets someone who was raised in an upper-class small-town area, it is very likely that the two would find a great deal of difficulty understanding each other.

In many places, if you do not speak the language, they will not help you. Even if they speak your language, the fact that you did not take the time to learn their language makes them feel disrespected.

Yet, in dealing with religious people, we are often told to be above reproach. We have to speak clearly, and be pillars of rational thought.

This doesn't work for the simple fact that the religious person is not a rational person! Reason is a foreign language, and rational thought an extremely foreign concept to them!

Christianity, for instance, expanded throughout Europe at the edge of a sword. Those who would not convert were killed, nonchristian temples destroyed. The early crusaders actively tried to erase any indication of "pagan", or nonchristian, thought from European history. The language of Christianity is filled with similar imagery. They speak of themselves as "soldiers of Christ", talk of being at "war with the world", and wait for an apocalyptic war at Ari Megiddon.

In order for someone to talk to a Christian, they have to understand this. Reasonable speech, and pleas for peace, will fall on deaf ears. They cannot understand the language. Theirs is a language of death. If we truly wish to speak to them, to get them to hear us and listen, we must speak that language. Only then will they understand.

And that is a universal truth. You must learn the language in order to gain respect and understanding. It's the only way.

Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 2:42 am

Yes and no. Xians are not usually completely unreasoning creatures. But you have a valid point in bringing up language. I try to follow that thinking by working within the Xians own paradigm. You have to give their mind something to work on, eg: if Jesus was the embodiment of gawd and goodness then why was he handing out advice on how to beat slaves. The deconversion stories that I have read usually start with some ireconcilables and once the person is aware of those they start to see more untill it piles up into full blown doubt. The process takes patience, you have to realize that this isn't a debate you win right away. The unconversion process usually takes years because people have such a strong emotional lock on their religion. But once they have a blatent inconsistancy for their mind to work on the process seems to eventually work through and break religion's hold on the mind. Don't underestimate the profound effect of having an Idea drilled into your head since birth. Such ideas become intergrated into the core identity of an individual and removing something that deep out takes a lot of work and a lot of time, to just tear it out all at once is more trauma than most are willing to subject themselves to.


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