Pet peeve: when people don't realize the meaning of terms

9-10ths_Penguin · #1 07-04-2008, 08:29 AM

So... I listened to the local Christian radio station for a bit this morning, and the discussion got me rather annoyed.

They were talking about legalism in the New Testament... fair enough, but they consistently used the term "Pharisee" as a synonym for "misguided legalist", and at one point declared that Pharisees were the enemies of Christ. Not just the specific Pharisees that Jesus encounters in the Gospels, but Pharisees generally.

I assume that these people don't realize that Rabbinic Judaism (i.e. virtually all Judaism today) is the modern evolution of Pharisaic Judaism, and that they're using a term that still applies to many people today.

Why do people who know better than to use terms like "welshing" or "gypping" have no problem with calling someone a "Pharisee" as an insult? Arrgh.

The Voice of Reason · #2 07-04-2008, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

Why do people who know better ...

I think you give some people too much credit.

doppelgänger · #3 07-04-2008, 08:53 AM

"Pharisee" has taken on a metaphorical second meaning in common usage, based on its symbolic use in the Gospel stories.

pharisaic - definition of pharisaic by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

See the second definition.

9-10ths_Penguin · #4 07-04-2008, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

"Pharisee" has taken on a metaphorical second meaning in common usage, based on its symbolic use in the Gospel stories.

Yes... as other terms based on the supposed characteristics of an identifiable group took on metaphorical second meanings as well, but despite that they were once common usage, most of the second meanings are no longer considered appropriate or acceptable, since we realize that they're derived from stereotypes and prejudices that aren't based on the root word.

These days, if a person were to use the phrase "that's mighty white of you", he'd probably get either strange looks or a fight, depending on who he said it around. I'm not sure why the term "Pharisee" is treated differently.

doppelgänger · #5 07-04-2008, 10:45 AM

Except it's not based on a stereotype but on the Pharisees in the Gospel stories.

Overall, I think we tend to be way too sensitive about this sort of thing these days.

9-10ths_Penguin · #6 07-04-2008, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

Except it's not based on a stereotype but on the Pharisees in the Gospel stories.

I think the stereotype comes from assuming that the Pharisees in the Gospel stories are typical of all Pharisees generally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

Overall, I think we tend to be way too sensitive about this sort of thing these days.

On some issues, perhaps, but on this one I disagree. I think that to a large degree, "Pharisee" and "modern Jew" could be considered interchangeable. How acceptable would it be to call someone a Jew as an insult?

doppelgänger · #7 07-04-2008, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 9-10ths_Penguin

I think the stereotype comes from assuming that the Pharisees in the Gospel stories are typical of all Pharisees generally.

On some issues, perhaps, but on this one I disagree. I think that to a large degree, "Pharisee" and "modern Jew" could be considered interchangeable.

Sorry, I'm just not seeing it.

I've never encountered a streotype of modern Jews as "harshly judgmental".