[lit-ideas] Re: Geary's Biblical Belt
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 08:15:32 -0500
JL:
> It may be said that God can also _bless_ but it's a human being who says
> "Bless you" (in reply to Atchoo), so where does the speaker (who says
"Bless
> you") find or derive the authority she feels she has to _bless_.
>
> These intricacies of the pragmatics of blessing should be obvious to a
> bible-belter as Geary advertises to be. Instead, he swears (that I don't
know what
> I'm talking about).
Mr. Amago is probably unaware of the long and bitter dispute between Mr.
Speranza and me. Whereas Mr. Speranza insists (performatively --
hilariously enough), that "Bless you" is a performative utterance, and asks
(again, performatively, tee-hee) what warrants such performativity. I, on
the other hand, correctly correct him. Balderdash, I suggest. "Bless you"
is not a performative, but a petition. It is what I've famously termed an
ellipsistical. It means: "May God bless you and have mercy on your rancid
soul." The idea of mere humans having the power to bless is blasphemous
and smacks of Popery, something us Bilblebelters don't cotton to. I hope
this straightens this out this time.
Mike Geary
God said it. I believe it. That settles it.
Memphis
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