[ ARC forum 2 ]

You need to understand AJ-Logic

Written by Paul B. at 07 Mar 2003 11:28:22:

As an answer to: Re: Jim-Logic... written by Ralesk at 07 Mar 2003 00:27:07:

I'm not sure, Ralesk, how much you know about primitive religions and primitive societies.

This point was highlighted at the Bible study which I attend, this week. Various ancient languages, such as Hebrew/ Aramaic, do not contain the comparatives and superlatives with which we are familiar, such as "good", "better" and "best". This function was achieved by repetition, so that if something was "good", then the comparative was indicated by a single repetition; "better" was encoded: "good, good", and the superlative by a double repetition; "best" being encoded: "good, good, good" (quite possibly with rising inflection).

Accordingly the adoration in Isiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8 "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty" where the "triple holy" can be interpreted in a modern language to mean "Absolute holiest of all".

This convention extended to affirmations. You may recall that in many of these societies, a man was able to divorce his wife by (taking her into a specified public place and) repeating the statement "I divorce you" three times in immediate succession. You may also look at this as a mechanism by which one was protected from making an unwise declaration purely by accident.

In summary, repetition appears to be a primitive means of trying to convince someone else (or even oneself perhaps!) of one's conviction about a certain matter.


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