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From: brunson@usfbobo.UUCP (David Brunson)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Yiri's Last Stand
Message-ID: <197@usfbobo.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 6-Oct-84 23:31:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: usfbobo.197
Posted: Sat Oct  6 23:31:12 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 10-Oct-84 02:53:01 EDT
References: <1539@ucf-cs.UUCP>, <203@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Organization: Univ. of South Florida, Tampa
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[]

From Charley Wingate:
>At the end of this debacle, I must take offense at Yirmiyahu's rather
>abusive language.  My comment concerning Jeremiah versus Yirmiyahu was
>intended to reinforce the point that almost nobody can read hebrew or is
>familiar with the hebrew names of things.  Yirmiyahu's persistence in
>giving things their hebrew names may be (from a certain point of view)
>more accurate, but its effect can only be to conceal what he is talking
>about.  He is very smug about the fact we cannot understand what he is
>talking about, when all he has to do is speak English.  Hebrew name magic
>aside, there is no difference between the prophet Jeremiah and the
>prophet Yirmiyahu.  I respect Yirmiyahu's right to his name; I expect him
>to respect my right to spoken to in a language I understand.

I would like to suggest another reason for using Hebrew names (besides
accuracy).  Sensitivity to heritage.  While Yirmiyahu's method of
argument is, Ahh, *unusual* (he seems to depend too heavily on
transliteration) he is nevertheless to be lauded for making some
(potentially) useful points.  We should hope that he doesn't become
too discouraged by some of the recent flagrant personal abuse (not
referring to the referenced article) to contribute further.

Who can deny that the gentile church callously, deliberately, violently,
and *wickedly* cut itself off from its jewish roots?  But people need
a heritage, and so the church adopted the greek.  I must say that I
*cringe* when people start talking about "the original greek."  Or
(like CS Lewis), are so enamored of the greek world-view that they
apply this goyishe abomination in discussing essentially Hebrew concepts
(love, judgement, righteousness, wisdom, understanding, and even *knowledge*).
The NT writings were (with the possible exception of Luke) written by
Jews whose native language, culture, and *heritage* was jewish.  It
seems clear that the best way to properly understand them is to become
saturated in Hebrew culture, concepts, and heritage.

Use of the Hebrew transliterations certainly couldn't hurt.  If you're
concerned that readers might have difficulty understanding you could
parenthetically append the English equivalents.

It is also undeniable that "Christianity" has an anti-Torah thrust
to it.  But that's another subject, sort of.
--
David Brunson

... better understanding through higher education.