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How should I refer to the Tower of Babel in a public speech?
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| Lira |
| 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. |
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| Gen3r4l1ty |
| I'm no christian, but I want to say the term "Bible Stories" is acceptable in those circles. |
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| mezzir |
story
story can be fiction or non-fiction
edit: story still kinda suggests fiction, but a lot less than tale myth or allegory :/ |
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| Lira |
| 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 :) |
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| mezzir |
| 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 :p |
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| Orbital32 |
| how about propaganda? |
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| PoisonJam19 |
| The movie is pretty good... |
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| Lira |
| 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. |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by PoisonJam19
The movie is pretty good... |
The one with the nekkid deaf-mute girl? |
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| 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 :p]; 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. |
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| PoisonJam19 |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lira
The one with the nekkid deaf-mute girl? |
Dats da one! ;) |
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| bas |
| How about "that thing that some people think may or may not have happened"? |
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