Alarmed by reports that more than half of those living in Los Angeles who are between the ages 18 to 34 are bilingual, Bryan Fischer declared on his radio program today that the fact that more and more people are speaking a language other than English in America is a sign of God's judgment upon this nation.
Seemingly unaware that the bilingual individuals profiled in the very article that he cited speak English in addition to another language, Fischer linked the rise of multilingualism in America to the story of the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis in which God "confused the people with different languages" as punishment for their arrogance, saying that the same thing is now happening here.
"When God's judgment falls on a nation for turning its back on him," Fischer said, "one form that that judgment takes is that people lose their ability to talk to each other. It's a form and expression of God's judgment ... I believe God's judgment is beginning to settle in on this land in the form of linguistic isolation"
46 comments
"I believe God's judgment is beginning to settle in on this land in the form of linguistic isolation"
What, he realized his aim was so bad with hurricanes and earthquakes that he's going back to making up new languages as punishment?
It's already started. Bible God has caused His supporters on Earth, both the cult of Virgin Sniffers and the tribe of Gulliblites, to be multilingual. They are fairly comfortable when communicating in Desperanto, they are fluent in Gibberish and can grunt passably well in English.
Because speaking only one language is not isolation.
And while we're here, think of the bilingual population of New York in 1900, or of my wife's little hometown, which then had two German-language newspapers.
Then why does God made his apostles speak several languages during Pentecost?
The fact they speak several languages is a good thing to promote, as long as they are able to speak the language of the country.
What the fuck are you bitching about? Not only do christians have your own language, you're teaching it to your children .
I don't know what you think that is, but it isn't English .
Knowing multiple languages is the exact opposite of Babal's moral. When people can understand and speak multiple languages they are less confused.
Languages are far less of a wall today then they once were.
one form that that judgment takes is that people lose their ability to talk to each other.
Well, it's a good thing they're bilingual then, isn't it? But it's not like different languages have existed throughout the entire recorded history of mankind.
So the fact that people can more easily communicate since so many are now bilingual actually means that we're losing our ability to communicate with one other.
Holy Opposite Day, Batman!!
I am constantly amazed and a bit jealous of my overseas colleagues who speak two, three, even four different languages. One of our ladies at the reception desk even speaks seven languages fluently!
Meanwhile, I struggle with French, German and trying to remember my Spanish.
Normal person: "You speak more than one language? Cool! I bet you can talk to more people now and even visit other countries."
Fundie: "You speak Mexican? Here in 'murica we speak 'murican and 'murican only! If 'murican was good enough for Jesus it's good enough for me! Why would I wanna talk to any dirty Mexicans anyway? They're all communists trying to destroy 'murican values!"
Jesus' disciples spoke Greek and Aramaic. Fucking heretics!
Oh, and the reason the Tower of Babel story worked is because God cursed them all to speak different languages EXCLUSIVELY. Which is exactly what YOU'RE trying to do. If you had said "God never meant for us to be bilingual" and used the Tower of Babel as "proof" your rant would at least make some sense. But you're too stupid to pull even that together. No, instead you claim that speaking multiple languages is more isolationist. There aren't enough palms and faces in the world to express that level of stupid.
So, not being Christian conservatives makes us have the ability to speak our native language and another?
Well guys, we all need to do our part then. We need to aim for large scale deconversion of America. Think of how many languages the average American will be able to speak then!
WTF. Just, WTF. I know this guy's a dumbass, but this is a level of unbridled stupidity previously unseen by mankind. This man is so stupid Darwin Award winners look like Perceptor in comparison. This man makes Mike Schmidt from FNAF look like a logical, reasoned individual. I simply refuse to believe that someone can be this stupid and still be alive.
What do you call a person that is fluent in two languages?
Bilingual
What do you call a person that is fluent in three languages?
Trilingual
What do you call a person that is fluent in only one language?
American
What do you call a person that isn't fluent in any language?
Bryan Fischer
Uh, I think you got that Babel myth allllll wrong, Mr. Fischface.
.....you xenophobic, anti-intellectual jerk.
Come to think of it. I should teach myself some different languages. I'd love to learn Italian/Sicilian (most of my ancestry is from there), Spanish (in America it's a bonus), French (sexy language & big in Canada) & German (my brother-in-law's German plus they, too are big players, linguistically). I should start with some Idiot's Guides/For Dummies books....
Italian/French & Spanish are great Romance languages literally & figuratively....if you get my drift *wink wink*.
German sounds like a Klingon with phlegm issues but it's cool in it's own way. Ever listened to Rammstein? Very cool!
EXPAND YOUR MIND! FREE YOUR MIND AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW!
Bryan, when people talk about "god's judgement", "god's punishment for arrogance", "condemned to hell", etc, not to mention their polar opposites "Salvation through Christ" and "merciful god", they are speaking ....ANOTHER LANGUAGE! God-speak has only a passing resemblance to English, but the concepts do not translate into any meaningful sentence in ordinary English; they can only be translated into more meaningless bible-babble.
Bryan Fischer - thinks learning a new language means you forget the old one.
This is a real human being, and not a Homer Simpson-cartoon character, I'd like to remind everyone of that.
God does like its followers to be pig ignorant.
Rather than isolating America, an increase in those that can speak more than one language will allow communication with a greater range of people, who do not speak English, thus bringing the world closer together. Besides, I thought you would rather have America more isolated, where none of these foreign types come over to take your jobs, benefits, homes, and wives.
@Frank:
Not true, Chris Moyles was a popular DJ for quite some time.
But, if God punished us with multiple languages, than this should be normal! Why would God punish us for accepting our punishment? What the fuck, Fischer, if you're a bigot, just come out and say it, because you sure aren't a theologian.
@ #1777356
You win the interwebs.
God "confused the people with different languages" as punishment for their arrogance ...
one form that that judgment takes is that people lose their ability to talk to each other.
???? By being bi- or multilingual you *gain* in your ability to talk with other people. I'm fluent in English and German.
Btw, we can safely asume that Jesus himself spoke Aramaic and Koine Greek, had a working knowledge of different Aramaic style dialects, understood Biblical Hebrew (of which the Gospels boast very loudly), and could probably carry a conversation in broken Latin.
But then again Jesus was crucified, so Fischer may be right about God's judgement. ;-)
How is being able to understand multiple languages alarming? Moreover knowing more than one language makes it far less likely you're going to be left scratching your head while travelling or interacting with travellers.
... Maybe this would make more sense if I were religious. Or suffered a severe blow to the head.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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