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       #Post#: 6--------------------------------------------------
       Is church language a problem?
   DIR By: Peter Browne
       Date: November 9, 2013, 3:53 pm
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       I think it was the Seekers who sang "We'll build a world of our
       own which no-one else can share".  Sometimes it feels a bit like
       that to me, especially when I'm at a church service with
       non-churchy friends - for example at baptisms and funerals -
       because of jargon terms which to them are sometimes
       incomprehensible or which mean something quite different.   As
       language evolves words can change their meaning and even drop
       out of use in popular culture.  Can religious words be a bit of
       a golden calf - where we get stuck worshipping ephemeral words
       which we have manufactured instead of the reality they no longer
       represent?
       Some words we take for granted but are rarely used outside
       church
       annunciation, apostle, baptism, communion, consubstantial,
       dominations, eucharist, firmament, gospel, handmaid,
       intercession, libation, mortal sin, oblation, original sin,
       sacrament, salvation, scripture, sin, soul, tabernacle,
       transfiguration, unction, venial sin, etc.
       Words that may mean something quite different in popular
       culture
       confess, covenant, dominion, glorified, gospel, holocausts,
       handmaid, host, justified, minister, mystery, prophet,
       redemption, righteousness, soul, spirit, trespass, etc.
       #Post#: 10--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Is church language a problem?
   DIR By: Goodnewsfob
       Date: December 6, 2013, 9:33 am
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       Whilst I would agree that religious language may not be or is
       not understood outside religious contexts for the most part, I
       don't think it is possible to completely remove ambiguous and
       unusual religioius words from the liturgy.
       Where people get together for a particular reason, business,
       specialty, profession, club it is likely that the members will
       use specialist words and also words that may not have the same
       meaning outside that group.  People who come into the group for
       any reason not associated with membership would probably not
       understand or misunderstand some of the jargon used my members.
       I am sure Peter can think of legal terms which need to be
       explained to people who use the law.  Engineers, football
       players (result now means win), pigeon fanciers, the BBC,
       computer specialists etc. have jargon.
       Peter has already pointed out that words change and that a new
       translation was probably needed, however, it is not an
       improvement, although not everyone would agree with this view.
       It was right to retranslate, going back to sources to do so
       simply because words change and the translation with which we
       are/were familiar was not ideal.
       What is needed for liturgical events where non-religious people
       come is a booklet with the words and posture guides and
       explanations where this might help.
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