# Noting attacks on our standard dictionaries



## Eoghan

I am interested in examples where the left (usually) has sought to load the language (Loaded language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Basically I want to have documented examples of where the vocabulary we share has been hijacked. One example I have in Scotland is where the definition of literature has been expanded to include - charts, maps, graphs and timetables, comics, games, labels, signs and posters. This allows them to change the teaching of english into "english and media studies" without any public debate.

Slut walks in the US are an example of trying to defuse the term "slut" but I can't help think their actions reinforce it.


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## J. Dean

If you mean in general language, the term liberal has been hijacked. Originally, the term meant "those who were for more freedom," but in the latter part of the nineteenth century Marxists hijacked the term in order to further their ideology.

If you mean in Christianity, the word "evangelical" is starting to become too elastic, which is one of the reasons the switch has been made by Reformed (and conservative Lutherans) to use the term "confessional" instead.


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## Tim

This is a very worthy topic. The left (or whatever term you use) has been very clever in how they use words to accomplish progress. 

Hmm. Progress. Progressive. There is another word. Who could be against progress?


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## Scottish Lass

Gay used to mean happy.


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## O'GodHowGreatThouArt

Scottish Lass said:


> Gay used to mean happy.



Still does, but it's use is so often connected to words related to the homosexual movement that people forget it has more than one meaning, just as people forget that all does not mean all and that's all all means.

Then again, people wouldn't choose to be gay if they weren't happy in that sin, so maybe the use of that word is more of a judgment upon them for that sin than a symbol of identification.


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## jogri17

Dictionaries do not define words. If they did they would have no need to update them regularly. Words change naturally or sometimes new words and expressions just come in rapidly or a definition is added. Most of the examples I can think of are quite vulgar, so I will not the post them.


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## Eoghan

Words do change naturally and slowly. What I am interested in is the twisting and deliberate changing of words. http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/pdfs/CREDguide_full-res.pdf is supposed to be a scholarly article on "communication" it does however overstep the boundaries in a couple of places In my humble opinion. Most importantly it is deliberate.


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## Eoghan

Thucydides, in 431 BC, observed it in Athens and wrote; ‘ To fit
in with the change of events [i.e. during crisis] words, too, had to
change their usual meanings. What used to be described as a thoughtless
act of aggression was now regarded as the courage one would expect to
find in a party member: to think of the future and wait was merely
another way of saying one was a coward; any idea of moderation was
just an attempt to disguise one’s unmanly character; ability to understand a question from all sides meant that one was totally unfitted for action.’


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## Apologist4Him

Compare words like "marriage" in Webster's 1828 dictionary with modern dictionaries.

From the 1828 dictionary:

*MAR'RIAGE*, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Heb 13
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Mat 22.
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace. Rev 19.

From Webster's online dictionary:
_
*1*. __a __(1)_[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/FONT]*:*[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law [/FONT]_(2)_ *:* the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage <same-sex _marriage_>
_b_ *:* the mutual relation of married persons *:* wedlock_c_ *:* the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage

*2*
*:* an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status iseffected; _especially_ *:* the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities

*3*
*:* an intimate or close union <the _marriage_ of painting and poetry — J. T. Shawcross>



And if we were to ask a non-Christian, it is likely they would claim the 1828 dictionary is "outdated" and "irrelevant". Of course an anti-Christian bias plays a major role in such opinions, because the 1828 dictionary does not separate God from the institution of marriage in it's definition.


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## Edward

Scottish Lass said:


> Gay used to mean happy.



And a ****** used to be a piece of firewood, a *** was a cigarette.


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## Eoghan

POVERTY

Another one I am sure of is the definition of "poverty" this word has been mined for all it's emotive content and where it used to mean someone was basically starving and destitute it now means less than 40% of the mean annual income (uk). 
"Fuel poverty" is when you spend more than 10% of your income on fuel bills (that's me by the way!)

This is the World Bank ‘s definition of poverty:

Poverty is an income level below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the “poverty line”. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values. But the content of the needs is more or less the same everywhere. Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

I find it incredible that those in poverty here in Wick will almost certainly have the full SKY TV package and a huge plasma TV. I have neither. Likewise in the US round about half of those in poverty have air conditioning - from outside the US this does seem wierd when compared with poverty in sub-saharan Africa.


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## Eoghan

POVERTY

Another one I am sure of is the definition of "poverty" this word has been mined for all it's emotive content and where it used to mean someone was basically starving and destitute it now means less than 40% of the mean annual income (uk). 
"Fuel poverty" is when you spend more than 10% of your income on fuel bills (that's me by the way!)

This is the World Bank ‘s definition of poverty:

Poverty is an income level below some minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This minimum level is usually called the “poverty line”. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs varies across time and societies. Therefore, poverty lines vary in time and place, and each country uses lines which are appropriate to its level of development, societal norms and values. But the content of the needs is more or less the same everywhere. Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, is fear for the future, living one day at a time. Poverty is losing a child to illness brought about by unclean water. Poverty is powerlessness, lack of representation and freedom.

I find it incredible that those in poverty here in Wick will almost certainly have the full SKY TV package and a huge plasma TV. I have neither. Likewise in the US round about half of those in poverty have air conditioning - from outside the US this does seem wierd when compared with poverty in sub-saharan Africa.


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## Eoghan

By defining poverty as below 60% of the mean income (EU definition) it brings a new meaning to the words of Mathew 26:11 "The poor you will always have with you..." 






check out http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...6IywBw&usg=AFQjCNEseTg80lh0i-EpmqMOECKOqizB0Q


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## JimmyH

Abraham Lincoln, former USA president, is reputed to have said, "God must have loved the poor people, he made so many of them." Reading the definition of marriage my mind went to two Scripture verses, one in Romans and the other in Ephesians. The Bible says 'And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do what ought not to be done', and from Ephesians,' according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience', This is what we, the remenent who would not bend the knee to Baal, are contending with.


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## CuriousNdenver

Eoghan said:


> Words do change naturally and slowly. What I am interested in is the twisting and deliberate changing of words. http://guide.cred.columbia.edu/pdfs/CREDguide_full-res.pdf is supposed to be a scholarly article on "communication" it does however overstep the boundaries in a couple of places In my humble opinion. Most importantly it is deliberate.



In your climate change link, the section on "Framing" was particularly disturbing. This article seems to push those in this field to write and present their data in a manner designed to elicit a particular response in their readers / viewers. I just scanned it briefly, but did not note any commitment on the author's part to present the truth or to show both sides of the argument, but to put it in a package that will appeal to the intended audience and result in a change in the audience's thinking and actions.

Very Orwellian indeed.

While no specific examples of words that have been hijacked come to my mind immediately, I will be on the lookout for them!


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## CuriousNdenver

"Tolerance" is a word that I have seen re-defined in common usage. I am a student at a secular university and have written numerous papers from a Christian worldview, and encountered objections from some, claiming Christians are intolerant.

The non-believing students I have encountered seem to think tolerance means allowing for the fact they or another point of view _may_ be right. Unfortunately this is a direct attack on absolute truth. "Truths" that are mutually exclusive can not both be true. I have had to confront this in class and received much opposition for clarifying that tolerance does not acknowledge truth in other views, but tolerates the people who hold these views and respects that they have a different opinion. I think that at least some of the people I have shared this clarification with have filed it away for future thought, but most have outright rejected it and write off anything else I have to say because I am an "intolerant Christian". 

"Coexist" is a closely related example. The definitions of these words are being blurred so that one who believes "tolerance" is a good thing now sees anyone they perceive to be "intolerant" (according to the morphed definition) as evil. 

I believe the change in perception is a contributing factor to the declining popularity of Christians in the public square.


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## Apologist4Him

CuriousNdenver said:


> "Tolerance" is a word that I have seen re-defined in common usage. I am a student at a secular university and have written numerous papers from a Christian worldview, and encountered objections from some, claiming Christians are intolerant.
> 
> The non-believing students I have encountered seem to think tolerance means allowing for the fact they or another point of view _may_ be right. Unfortunately this is a direct attack on absolute truth. "Truths" that are mutually exclusive can not both be true. I have had to confront this in class and received much opposition for clarifying that tolerance does not acknowledge truth in other views, but tolerates the people who hold these views and respects that they have a different opinion. I think that at least some of the people I have shared this clarification with have filed it away for future thought, but most have outright rejected it and write off anything else I have to say because I am an "intolerant Christian".
> 
> "Coexist" is a closely related example. The definitions of these words are being blurred so that one who believes "tolerance" is a good thing now sees anyone they perceive to be "intolerant" (according to the morphed definition) as evil.
> 
> I believe the change in perception is a contributing factor to the declining popularity of Christians in the public square.



If they're so tolerant, ask them why they are intolerant of intolerance.


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## CuriousNdenver

Apologist4Him said:


> If they're so tolerant, ask them why they are intolerant of intolerance.



Because it only works one way, though they would never admit it. It seems a thinly veiled attack on Christian values disguised as social progress. From my vantage point, it appears that only Christianity has become unfashionable in the public square and on secular college campuses etc. Buddhism, New Age spirituality, Hinduism, Islam etc. are almost protected entities.

Today I realized that the word "Patriotism" (in the U.S.) is another that seems to be losing its flavor. It used to be held in high esteem, and today in many circles it is despised. Many who I come in contact with view it as symbolic of white, Protestant oppression rather than symbolic of freedom and democracy. 

"I'm writing an Oratory Speech for debate on "The New Definition of American Patriotism" and I wanted to see what the inter-nets had to say about it." Aaron Sebright as seen at http://http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patriotism

I am sure there are many more words that are changing in meaning in our society. Interesting topic; I will try to be more aware of these subtle changes.


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## Rich Koster

I believe the words "hope" and "change" may have been loaded and redefined be the leftys, in the past 3.5 years.

Also- Edward: I thought that f****t was a bundle of sticks, if we are addressing the same word.


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## CuriousNdenver

Rich Koster said:


> I believe the words "hope" and "change" may have been loaded and redefined be the leftys, in the past 3.5 years.



Great ones. This is an interesting topic...I am going to try to remain aware of these changes and note them.


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## Eoghan

Dialogue in “Voices of Authority”, Season 3 episode 5, first broadcast 29th January 1996
SHERIDAN 
Our version of the homeless. In some ways we have the same problems Earth does.
JULIE MUSANTE 
(mouth full) 
Earth doesn't have homeless.
SHERIDAN 
Excuse me?
JULIE MUSANTE 
We don't have the problem. Sure, there are a few... displaced people here and there, but they've chosen to be in that position. They're lazy, or criminal, or mentally unstable --
SHERIDAN 
They can't get a job.
JULIE MUSANTE 
Earthgov has promised a job for anyone who wants one. If someone doesn't have a job, it must be because they don't want one. Quid pro quo.
She says it with the air of a true believer, as though dropping some totally accepted fact. Sheridan is boggled.
SHERIDAN 
And poverty?
JULIE MUSANTE 
The same.
SHERIDAN 
Crime?
JULIE MUSANTE 
There's some, but it's all caused by the mentally unstable. We've just instituted correctional centers to filter them out at an early age.
SHERIDAN 
Prejudice?
JULIE MUSANTE 
We're just one happy planet. Well, except for the Marsies, but that won't change until they stop fighting Earth rule.
SHERIDAN 
And when, exactly, did all this happen?
JULIE MUSANTE 
When we rewrote the dictionary. 
Captain, you're a good man. A fine soldier. A leader. *You understand that before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.
*


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## Eoghan

Eoghan said:


> Dialogue in “Voices of Authority”, Season 3 episode 5, first broadcast 29th January 1996
> 
> JULIE MUSANTE
> *You understand that before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.
> *



That one was fiction (OK, Good fiction, excellent even) this is Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asking Bureau of Labor Statistics Acting Commissioner (John Galvin) what actually constitutes a "*Green Job*". 

http://furtheradventuresofindigored.../obama-redefines-everything-as-green-job.html (be sure and watch the video footage!)

Just remember folks ...before you can deal with a problem sometimes you have to...redefine it.


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## Edward

Rich Koster said:


> a bundle of sticks, if we are addressing the same word.



I found this definition, so we are probably both right. 
"branch or twig, or bundle of these "


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## Rich Koster

Edward said:


> Rich Koster said:
> 
> 
> 
> a bundle of sticks, if we are addressing the same word.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I found this definition, so we are probably both right.
> "branch or twig, or bundle of these "
Click to expand...


OK- just checking if we were examining the same word.


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## Eoghan

*How Did the French get a Fishing Subsidy for snail farms - sophistry!*

In France, Snails Are Now Fish

Check this out (and don't overlook my earlier posts on Babylon 5/Obama)


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## Edward

Rich Koster said:


> OK- just checking if we were examining the same word.



I was a bit surprised that perfectly good English words were censored by the software. If we want to reclaim our language, we can't be niggardly about properly using words. Indeed, I advocate for proper use of vulgarities (not as expletives, but in their proper sense).


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## CuriousNdenver

*"Human Rights"* is now being rebranded to include sanctioning a homosexual lifestyle. The article linked below discusses Google's plan to "Legalize Love" worldwide. The article quotes a Google exec saying, "We want our employees who are gay or lesbian or transgender to have the same experience outside the office as they do in the office,". 

http://http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/31255652/detail.html


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## Eoghan

I was amused to learn that flammable was preferred to inflammable as "in" (incapable) suggests it cannot burn


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## Eoghan

*The most overworked and corrupted word in the english language (probably)*

DISCRIMINATION!

I read with incredulity the case of an employer who advertised for a "reliable" worker. (Advert for 'reliable workers' banned as discrimination by Jobcentre Plus - Telegraph)

The 'error 'in the job advert was asking for a reliable applicant. It seems that anti-discrimination legislation is being interpreted as not permitting discrimination against the lazy and unreliable. The Law does not back the Job Centre attitude but is the starting point for their "interpretation".

I fear that a lot of good laws will receive similar "interpretation" to the detriment of our freedom as Christians.


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## Bill The Baptist

Here is a good article on this issue Armor Chinks, Niggardly Sums and Retarded Growth


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## JennyG

and not a million miles from discrimination, how about "phobic" -? 
I'm not scared of gay people (unless spiritually perhaps) but thinking they're wrong makes me a homophobe to many people. I'm an arachnophobe too, but curiously like the vast majority of phobias, that has no moral dimension, whereas homophobia is *pure evil*.

There's also "diversity":
to the BBC, virtue begins and ends with celebrating diversity. The word has a proper dictionary definition, but more importantly, when you "celebrate" it, it's code for "enthusiastic endorsement of homosexuals and their lifestyle". 

You'd probably find other examples filed under "Climate change" and "Creationism".


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## JennyG

When I used the term "evolutionist" on the old Dawkins website forum, the moderators more than once came down on me hard, and threatened me with expulsion for misuse of language. 
I was luckily saved from that terrible fate  I was able to point to the fact that Chambers lists the word and defines it simply as someone who believes in the theory of evolution, which was how I was using it. Some of them then actually blustered about complaining to Chambers!

The problem to them wasn't really that I was using the word wrongly, but that it ought not to exist at all, because if you have a word for people who believe in something, you imply that *not* believing in it is somehow a real option.
I'm not sure what the definition would be of what they were trying to do.... not so much *re*-define, as define out of existence.


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## CuriousNdenver

Eoghan said:


> DISCRIMINATION!
> 
> I read with incredulity the case of an employer who advertised for a "reliable" worker. (Advert for 'reliable workers' banned as discrimination by Jobcentre Plus - Telegraph)
> 
> The 'error 'in the job advert was asking for a reliable applicant. It seems that anti-discrimination legislation is being interpreted as not permitting discrimination against the lazy and unreliable. The Law does not back the Job Centre attitude but is the starting point for their "interpretation".
> 
> I fear that a lot of good laws will receive similar "interpretation" to the detriment of our freedom as Christians.



How truly frightening. I suspect this is how many new interpretations get their beginnings.


JennyG said:


> and not a million miles from discrimination, how about "phobic" -?
> I'm not scared of gay people (unless spiritually perhaps) but thinking they're wrong makes me a homophobe to many people. I'm an arachnophobe too, but curiously like the vast majority of phobias, that has no moral dimension, whereas homophobia is pure evil.



I'm an arachnophobe too! Such a good observation you make that believing homosexuality is immoral and a sin before God is confused with being homophobic in our modern society. 

We do need to stand against these false interpretations of our language and help people understand what our position truly is. Regarding homosexuals, it does not help that we have people like the Westboro Baptist folks, who in the name of Christ attack homosexuals saying God hates them, rather than their sin. It is unfortunate that many who are homophobes vocally proclaim the name of Christ, yet act without the fruit of the Spirit when dealing with homosexuals.

Chick Fil A is under attack because the owner has admitted to a conservative stance and acknowledges that they support marriage between one man and one woman. They have clarified that their company policy is to treat ALL customers with excellent service and respect, including homosexuals, but it seems these words go unheard. The mainstream secular society focuses in on the words they want to hear, makes unfounded conclusions and paints Chick Fil A as an evil entity. To me, this is rebranding to an exponential degree!


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## Eoghan

As a High School teacher I now use "Creation" where I used to say "Nature". The distinction in my mind is that we confuse nature with what is natural. Knowing that Creation is fallen I cannot think of it as natural.

It is a small thing but significant to me.


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## Eoghan

*SNP attempt to exploit the Olympics by coining new word "Scolympians"*

With the referendum on independence clearly on the horizon Alex Salmond coins the term "Scolympian". 
Unfortunately Andy Murray chose to drape himself in the Union Jack (not the Saltire) and 
"I think I feel more British," Scott Brash, Scotland's top show jumper told Reuters at the Games, where his team won gold.


Scolympians or Team GB? Games flare secession row | Reuters
"Scolympians" or Team GB? Games flare secession row | Sport | The Guardian

I am pretty sure that a press release from the SNP was noted on Radio 4 to have the alternative spelling of "Scoolympian" 

Should I say National Socialism?


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## Eoghan

*The Curious effect of defining poverty as below 60% of the mean wage*

As the recession bites and wages are both frozen and cut - the mean alters and - you have to laugh (and I am) -is responsible for a 2% drop in poverty! 

BBC News - Child poverty down as household income drops - 300,000 taken out of poverty - by the recession


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## J. Dean

Loved the Babylon 5 section!

If you want to read a little bit about the deliberate changing of language for the purpose of manipulation, read Orwell's _1984_.


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## Tim

Eoghan said:


> As a High School teacher I now use "Creation" where I used to say "Nature". The distinction in my mind is that we confuse nature with what is natural. Knowing that Creation is fallen I cannot think of it as natural.
> 
> It is a small thing but significant to me.



I don't understand you here. Doesn't nature/natural distinguish from the supernatural (i.e., God and God only)? Can you explain further please?


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## Rich Koster

Eoghan said:


> As the recession bites and wages are both frozen and cut - the mean alters and - you have to laugh (and I am) -is responsible for a 2% drop in poverty!
> 
> BBC News - Child poverty down as household income drops - 300,000 taken out of poverty - by the recession



I guess that when everyone is broke, no one is considered to be "in poverty"


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## Eoghan

Tim said:


> Eoghan said:
> 
> 
> 
> As a High School teacher I now use "Creation" where I used to say "Nature". The distinction in my mind is that we confuse nature with what is natural. Knowing that Creation is fallen I cannot think of it as natural.
> 
> It is a small thing but significant to me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I don't understand you here. Doesn't nature/natural distinguish from the supernatural (i.e., God and God only)? Can you explain further please?
Click to expand...



Nature gives rise to natural law as a humanist would understand it, nature raw in tooth and blood. Anything observed occurring is deemed natural. Arguments from nature presume evolution. As a creationist I view creation as fallen and not natural at all. Death is not natural and yet it is our fallen condition (foreign to the original perfect creation). Likewise illness and disease is a consequence of the fall and is not 'natural' in the sense of being God's original intent for Creation.


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## JennyG

Eoghan said:


> SNP attempt to exploit the Olympics by coining new word "Scolympians"



as people in this country have pointed out, it sounds more like a disease than anything else 
The scolympians won't be much of a threat to team G Brilympians, never mind the Chinolympians and Amerilympians.


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## CuriousNdenver

I am a staff photographer for our school newspaper and was not all that surprised to see that one of our editors posted this on her facebook page this morning. 

(Click on the image to enlarge so it is readable!)

(M) This image should help you and your friends translate what they're saying. Image by Keegan Fife VerBurg.

View attachment 3021

Now we know where to go to get the _new_ definitions of our words.


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## Eoghan

*Para Olympics of 2000 - cheats were not dumb enough!*

I have an image of the para olympics being for brave men and women who are fighting back from limb loss and severe disfigurement. I think that the origin was from rehabilitating war vets.

Not any more, there is an intellectual disablement category. Spain was caught cheating when their basketball team could not be proved to have an IQ below 70! I kid you not check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheating_at_the_Paralympic_Games#Intellectual_disability

Who would you nominate for this category? On second thoughts maybe best not answer that question.


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## Whitefield

A symbol that is being co-opted is the rainbow. I have a cross on a rainbow colored lanyard and some people think it is political statement that I am pro-gay.


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## FenderPriest

Eoghan said:


> I am interested in examples where the left (usually) has sought to load the language (Loaded language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
> 
> Basically I want to have documented examples of where the vocabulary we share has been hijacked. One example I have in Scotland is where the definition of literature has been expanded to include - charts, maps, graphs and timetables, comics, games, labels, signs and posters. This allows them to change the teaching of english into "english and media studies" without any public debate.
> 
> Slut walks in the US are an example of trying to defuse the term "slut" but I can't help think their actions reinforce it.


You'd probably enjoy reading C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man. He did this type of research and thinking way before the internet was cool.


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## Eoghan

*When are you "late" for church? Should we adopt the definition of British Rail?*

If you live close to church you would not be "counted" as late until you were five minutes late.

Coming to church from further afield, you would not be counted late until you were ten minutes late. 

Train punctuality reaches new high - Telegraph

Oh and it would be when your car enters the parking lot (not when you get out the car, let alone sit down in your pew) that you "arrive." 

Record-breaking train punctuality called into question by sensor row - Telegraph


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## Eoghan

*Predistribution Labour's latest made-up word.*

BBC News - Ed Miliband unveils 'predistribution' plan to fix economy

As near as I can make out it assumes presupposes a command economy in which more skilled workers will generate higher wages. (That is not all that it presupposes.) What I am fascinated by is the fact that it is a made-up word (thanks America)which is the vessel for a debunked theory. Mind you it has grabbed the headlines and like a mutating cold virus will infect many where the original idea, plainly stated, would not.

Is it not true that there are many more graduate students working in McDonalds? I also seem to remember that a graduate took the UK government to court for asking her to attend training in a LIDL store while on unemployment benefit/job seekers allowance.


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## Eoghan

Eoghan said:


> ... like a mutating cold virus will infect many where the original idea, plainly stated, would not.



Is this how heresies re-invent themselves?


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## Eoghan

*"Lies, damned lies, and statistics" (the latter)*

I was intrigued to read of the high number of rapes in Sweden until that is you look at the way the statistics are collected. Likewise the number of kidnappings makes Australia look like the kidnapping capital of the world - until you realise that it is bloated by the inclusion of custody complications in divorces.

We should be very cautious in accepting what we hear. We really need to be shown how such statistics are collected.


*Official figures from the United Nations show that there were 17 kidnaps per 100,000 people in Australia in 2010 and 12.7 in Canada.
That compares with only 0.6 in Colombia and 1.1 in Mexico.*

BBC News - Sweden's rape rate under the spotlight

It also begs the question of how flexible our language is - I was shocked to hear that domestic abuse figures in the UK (on which I am sure Government policy is based) includes abusive language as "domestic abuse." Does that means swearing, raised voices or does it encompass such terms of 'abuse' as lazy? If my tax dollars/taxes are being diverted by such advocacy 'research' I would like to know!


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## Eoghan

*Domestic abuse - redefined*

BBC News - Government may expand definition of domestic violence (looking into)
BBC News - New guidelines issued on domestic abuse (conclusion?)

It seems that the government is following the line taken by advocacy research that includes 'verbal abuse' within the catch-all "domestic abuse." Will this outlaw any S&M type relationships such as those described in "50 Shades of Grey." There is a degree of micro-management here that is incremental.

This came in the same week I heard one of the girls involved in the 'Asian men grooming schoolgirls' scandal. At the tender age of 15, social workers were aware she was working as a prostitute. This is statutory rape in the UK, but our social workers, those guardians of society, and I quote, "respected her lifestyle choice." 

I heard the phrase repressive tolerance last night to describe this sort of thing. I just call it hypocrisy! The reason that the age of consent was set at 16 was to allow a clear boundary due to, wait for it, the exploitation of young girls for prostitution. We need to remember our history and we need to teach our social workers why christians campaigned for a clear cut line.


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