[lit-ideas] Re: Geary's Biblical Belt
- From: JulieReneB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 13:15:09 EDT
<<The idea of mere humans having the power to bless is blasphemous
and smacks of Popery, something us Bilblebelters don't cotton to.>>
You really wouldn't take well to Judaism, Mike. Half the prayer service
consists of sentences which begin with "Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu melek
ha-olam" (Blessed are you Lord our God, Master of the Universe....). When you
eat
bread you say "Blessed are you Lord our God Master of the Universe who
brings forth bread from the earth" -- when you do *anything* you bless God
first.
Prayers are interspersed frequently with "Baruch HaShem" (blessed is the
Name (of God)). Interesting, the emphasis in Christianity on God blessing
people and the emphasis in Judaism on people blessing God. Actually I think
it's
more an acknowledgement -- "I recognize that you are a Blessed One"....but
that's not how much rabbinic commentary talks about it. I read a piece on the
blessing of God in Judaism by Heschel, I think, once, (or maybe Kaplan?)
which I thought profound and can no longer recall where I found. I really
need
to start making a bibliography on the computer of every quote, essay, or
passage in anything I read that I think meaningful. Oh to be so organized.
Oh to
be organized at all. Off to hear Kerry in Jeff City today. Bless him.
(When I asked my teenage step-daughter if she was interested in seeing Kerry,
her 17 year old friend looked up and said entirely innocently "Who's John
Kerry?". I'm still shaking my head.
Julie Krueger
========Original Message========
Subj: [lit-ideas] Re: Geary's Biblical Belt Date: 8/5/2004 9:33:05 AM
Central Daylight Time From: _atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) Sent on:
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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