Ship of Fools: Go away, I'm adoring God!

Thread: Go away, I'm adoring God! Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

The catechism of my childhood (I forget the title and author), in an effort to simplify the Ten Commandments to bring them down to the reading level of children, stated the First Commandment thusly:

"I must adore God alone."

I could never figure out why others couldn't be present while I was adoring God. What about church?

Any other examples of theological oversimplifications you've encountered that don't quite convey the meaning of the original?

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

"Drink ye all of this." What, the whole chalice?

Posted by L'organist (# 17338) on :

Don't know if this is a tangent...

We used to have a lovely 20+ Downs Syndrome chap who came to church for Matins.

First time he came, after the third canticle, the vicar turns to face the altar and solemnly intones I believe in God at which point this chap says very loudly I should hope you do.

Much mirth but... he had a point! [Big Grin]

Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :

quote:
Originally posted by L'organist:
Don't know if this is a tangent...
We used to have a lovely 20+ Downs Syndrome chap who came to church for Matins.

At church we had a lady named Holly (who was on our row, and had cerebral palsy).
In Year 8 we had a school exchange, on the German leg the family invited me to church and on the English leg of the tour we took him to ours.
Asking him how he found it, he said (on the style) he found the German church more holly like. It took us a while to stop wondering what he was referring to, and realise the mispronunciation.

Posted by Sighthound (# 15185) on :

Remember the Hymn 'There is a green hill far away.'

As a child I used to wonder why anyone would need to say that the green hill did not have a city wall. None of the green hills I knew had one.

Took me a while to cotton on to the other meaning of 'without'.

Posted by rolyn (# 16840) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
"Drink ye all of this." What, the whole chalice?

"Think of me as oft as ye drink it" ,-- (red wine ?).

That's quite often then [Big Grin]

Posted by Jay-Emm (# 11411) on :

quote:
Originally posted by rolyn:
"Think of me as oft as ye drink it" ,-- (red wine ?).
That's quite often then

In that case it's arguable that is the intention.

Posted by Chorister (# 473) on :

As a child, brought up on 1662 BCP, I always got a delightful image in my mind at 'Lover of Concord'....

Posted by mrs whibley (# 4798) on :

I once saw a video of a sermon in which the speaker had taken Isaiah 53 v 10 (KJV) "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him", as rather a literal reading. But my thoughts on that might be more suited to Hell.

Posted by Gwalchmai (# 17802) on :

When I was little, I always thought that the second phrase of the Lord's Prayer was "We chart in heaven".

Posted by Jack the Lass (# 3415) on :

For years in primary school assemblies I sang "I am the Lord of the dance settee". The thought that it made no sense whatsoever didn't even enter my head.

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

May I gently remind you that I started this thread to elicit examples of oversimplifications that don't quite convey the meaning of the original -- not examples of things misheard. We've all got examples of the latter ("And lead a snot into temptation" being my personal favorite). Thanks.

Posted by Gill H (# 68) on :

"Blest are the pure in heart, for they shall see our God" annoyed me as a child. Well, bully for them, I thought. What about us decidedly non-pure in heart types?

And "He died to make us good" always made me think Jesus' death was some sort of threat to make us behave ourselves.

Posted by cliffdweller (# 13338) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Gill H:
"Blest are the pure in heart, for they shall see our God" annoyed me as a child. Well, bully for them, I thought. What about us decidedly non-pure in heart types?

That made me think of this:

blessed are the cheesemakers

Posted by Galloping Granny (# 13814) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Sighthound:
Remember the Hymn 'There is a green hill far away.'

As a child I used to wonder why anyone would need to say that the green hill did not have a city wall. None of the green hills I knew had one.

Took me a while to cotton on to the other meaning of 'without'.

That one used to bother me too.

If it had been a Scots poet it would have been 'Outwith a city wall'; no confusion there.

GG

Posted by mdijon (# 8520) on :

Out where, and with which city wall?

Posted by Amanda B. Reckondwythe (# 5521) on :

I think I'd wonder what was wrong with city walls that they had to be abolished altogether.

Another one that always puzzled me -- the second verse of "O Lord I Am Not Worthy" contains the lines "No more by sin to grieve thee, or fly thy sweet control." I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to pilot God's airplane (if indeed he had one) and take over the controls.

[ 11. November 2013, 18:47: Message edited by: Amanda B. Reckondwythe ]

Posted by Pigwidgeon (# 10192) on :

quote:
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees.

I understand about the sheep, but I could never figure what the fleas had to do with anything...

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