04/08/13 WORDS ARE THE EXPRESSION OF CULTURES
I have said for decades that the learning of languages was more than an exercise in linguistics. It is a major step in cultural and behavioral transformation. This was the method used by ancient empires to take control of conquered nations. They would deport nationals to other places, and import their own people, forcing a change in language, which resulted in the conquered people being conformed to the thoughts, beliefs and behavior of the oppressive regime.
This still happens with the learning of other languages. When a person learns a language they begin to think like others who speak that language and they open up to cultural differences and philosophical differences. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.
This also happens when a people change the meaning of words. If there are no words for, "Islamic Terrorism" there will be no way to think of Islamic terrorism. If there is no term for, "Illegal Alien," there will be no way to think of foreign invaders and intruders. This will change/blur the issues to the point that illegal immigration will not be addressed.
In the spiritual realm it is true also. When people learn to speak with crude and demeaning speech, they will think crude and demeaning thoughts and act out crude and demeaning behavior. The cancer of vile speech has spread to all ages, both genders and even into supposed Christ followers. Corrupt communications results in corrupt behavior. This is true verbal abuse, which most liberals do not denounce.
People are not content to speak corruption, they want to impose it on others. And remember, not all speech is equal. There are standing laws against certain kinds of speech. Any argument that justifies crude, perverse, obscene, profane, prurient speech is a twisting of the right to free speech.
Though we will not stop the flood of corrupt speech in our society, we should at least protect our children when we can and we should personally live by Biblical standards.
Ephesians 4:29
(29) Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 5:3-5
(3) But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
(4) Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
(5) For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Colossians 3:8
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
The fact that Jesus is called, "The Word" (Logos) is appropriate to this thought as well. Jesus is the Word, the Thought(s) of God. The Christian life is not possible without the Word. He forms our thoughts, our beliefs, our behavior. Jesus is the answer, the countermeasure, to the corrupt thoughts of this world. He is the wisdom that is from above, while the world's wisdom is from beneath.
