How should I refer to the Tower of Babel in a public speech?

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Posted by Lira on Jan-22-2008 21:58:

How should I refer to the Tower of Babel in a public speech?

Christians, I need your help. Would you find it offensive if I considered the description of the Babel Tower on the bible to be a myth? I'm writing a speech for my graduation ceremony, and I wonder whether I should call it (a) a myth, (b) a tale, (c) a story, or (d) an allegory.

Posted by Gen3r4l1ty on Jan-22-2008 22:02:

I'm no christian, but I want to say the term "Bible Stories" is acceptable in those circles.

Posted by mezzir on Jan-22-2008 22:02:

story
story can be fiction or non-fiction
edit: story still kinda suggests fiction, but a lot less than tale myth or allegory :/

Posted by Lira on Jan-22-2008 22:10:

quote:
Originally posted by Gen3r4l1ty
I'm no christian, but I want to say the term "Bible Stories" is acceptable in those circles.

quote:
Originally posted by mezzir
story
story can be fiction or non-fiction
edit: story still kinda suggests fiction, but a lot less than tale myth or allegory :/

Yeah, I was thinking of calling it a "Bible Story" but, as mezzir said, it kinda suggests fiction. Still, that's the best term, right?

I'm using the term "story", unless someone comes up with a better choice

Posted by mezzir on Jan-22-2008 22:12:

quote:
Originally posted by Lira
Yeah, I was thinking of calling it a "Bible Story" but, as mezzir said, it kinda suggests fiction. Still, that's the best term, right?

I'm using the term "story", unless someone comes up with a better choice

yeah i'd go with that
i pictured flanders from the simpsons lecturing homer, and i pictured him using story
thats how i initially came up with that

Posted by Orbital32 on Jan-22-2008 22:31:

how about propaganda?

Posted by PoisonJam19 on Jan-22-2008 22:32:

The movie is pretty good...

Posted by Lira on Jan-22-2008 22:33:

quote:
Originally posted by Orbital32
how about propaganda?

It wouldn't make sense. Besides, that's the same word we use for "advertisement", and it would be quite difficult to narrow it down in order to convey the idea you want.

Posted by Lira on Jan-22-2008 22:33:

quote:
Originally posted by PoisonJam19
The movie is pretty good...

The one with the nekkid deaf-mute girl?

Posted by Halcyon+On+On on Jan-22-2008 22:41:

I am honestly not certain about the connotations of the word 'tale' in your language as compared to those in English, but I think that would be the most effective reference to it, given your audience.

It's very possible that if you say the word 'story' or 'myth' [at least so far as English connotations are concerned] you'll make a portion of your Christian audience become hung up on you trying to offend them [whether it is in fact true or not...doesn't matter to most of them ]; whereas if you refer to it in a very plain term such as 'tale', the ambiguity of such language will allow you to establish your eventual point far better and reach a wider audience who is, as far as diction is concerned, still allowed to interpret it as they will. But again, this is running off of English appeals to connotations and they may differ vastly - I don't know.

Posted by PoisonJam19 on Jan-22-2008 22:57:

quote:
Originally posted by Lira
The one with the nekkid deaf-mute girl?

Dats da one!

Posted by bas on Jan-22-2008 23:00:

How about "that thing that some people think may or may not have happened"?

Posted by Lira on Jan-22-2008 23:01:

Yeah, that's a good film

quote:
Originally posted by bas
How about "that thing that some people think may or may not have happened"?

It would spark an unnecessary debate, methinks.

quote:
Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On
I am honestly not certain about the connotations of the word 'tale' in your language as compared to those in English, but I think that would be the most effective reference to it, given your audience.

It's very possible that if you say the word 'story' or 'myth' [at least so far as English connotations are concerned] you'll make a portion of your Christian audience become hung up on you trying to offend them [whether it is in fact true or not...doesn't matter to most of them ]; whereas if you refer to it in a very plain term such as 'tale', the ambiguity of such language will allow you to establish your eventual point far better and reach a wider audience who is, as far as diction is concerned, still allowed to interpret it as they will. But again, this is running off of English appeals to connotations and they may differ vastly - I don't know.

The connotations are pretty much the same. But, see how complicated it can get?

Posted by nchs09 on Jan-22-2008 23:54:

call the bible "action-adventure novel"

Posted by Halcyon+On+On on Jan-22-2008 23:59:

I've always wanted to make my own "Choose Your Fate" style of bible. They'd all end in eternal damnation, it would be fantastic.

Posted by nchs09 on Jan-23-2008 00:07:

Posted by mezzir on Jan-23-2008 00:08:

quote:
Originally posted by nchs09
Like those books that go "If you want to go into the cave, go to page 58"

dun dun dun...

oh man
its like a 200 page book, page 1 gives you two choices, one to go to page 34, one to page 141. on page 34: eternal damnation. on page 141: eternal damnnation. Every other page sends you to heaven!

Posted by Project-K on Jan-23-2008 01:00:

I'd call it "the story of babel" as opposed to a "bible story", which could be interpereted as having a very mild negative connotation. But yes, definately go with 'story'. It's a neutral word.

Posted by noikeee on Jan-23-2008 01:21:

now you should really start thinking about whether to use "hist�ria" or "est�ria"

Posted by Audious on Jan-23-2008 01:24:

As a nickname for your penis.

<--only read the thread title

Posted by Halcyon+On+On on Jan-23-2008 01:27:

Lira's penis was destroyed by God because it once reached all the way to Heaven.

Or so the tale goes.

Posted by Lira on Jan-23-2008 01:37:

quote:
Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On
I've always wanted to make my own "Choose Your Fate" style of bible. They'd all end in eternal damnation, it would be fantastic.

Best idea ever.

quote:
Originally posted by Halcyon+On+On
Lira's penis was destroyed by God because it once reached all the way to Heaven.

Or so the tale goes.

Best tale ever.

quote:
Originally posted by noikeee
now you should really start thinking about whether to use "hist�ria" or "est�ria"

Hah, true that

"Est�ria", however, seems to have died out...

Posted by RandomGirl on Jan-23-2008 03:57:

Scripture.

The scripture found in the bible titled "Tower of Babel" blahdy blahdy blah.

Meh.

Posted by mezzir on Jan-23-2008 04:14:

quote:
Originally posted by Theresa
Scripture.

The scripture found in the bible titled "Tower of Babel" blahdy blahdy blah.

Meh.

if the person speaking was a christian, i'd say yeah, scripture, but scripture implies that you consider the book sacred

Posted by DigitalPhoenix on Jan-23-2008 04:19:

"so allow me to direct you to the writings in the Bible, about The Tower of Babel"..

eh? eh?

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