The Digitus Impudicus

 

We are far more connected to the ancient world than we understand or acknowledge. Many people seem to be unaware of anything more ancient than twenty years ago. They have no grasp of, or interest in, “history,” which they think is boring. This is not just the Bible or biblical history. Asking a history question of a random person on the street can at first seem humorous, and then astonishing, and then disheartening. They know nothing and do not care that they know nothing.

Our customs, traditions, fables, aphorisms, and even our insults, often have very ancient origins. What modern American English slang calls “flipping the bird finger” is an example. The Romans called it the digitus impudicus, the “shameless,” “offensive,” or “indecent” finger. It is intended as an expression of utter contempt for the targeted person or persons. The usage of the hand sign was ancient before the Romans mentioned it.

The middle finger is extended, with the first and third fingers curled towards the palm of the hand and held down by the thumb. The middle finger represents an erect penis and the knuckles of the curled fingers represent the testicles. The hand gesture is obviously a reference to a more overt insult, bending over and spreading the buttocks toward the one being insulted.

The gesture was obviously known at least as early as the 4^th Century BC/BCE in Athens, Greece, when Diogenes of Sinope publicly expressed his feelings towards the Greek orator, Demosthenes. The gesture was also mentioned in the 5^th Century BC/BCE by Aristophanes in his comedic play, The Clouds. Tacitus mentions that the “barbarian” Germans used the gesture to insult advancing Roman armies before battle.

The historian Josephus links the insult to a major event affecting the Jewish people about 50 BC/BCE. The Jews were gathered at the temple for Passover when “one of the soldiers, raising his robe, stooped in an indecent attitude, so as to turn his backside to the Jews, and made a noise in keeping with his posture.” This resulted in a riot and a panicked stampede when the Roman soldiers used force to try to stop the riot. Josephus says that at least 30,000 Jews died.

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/jesus/jesuschronology.html

Car Tags

In the United States there is a tradition of "vanity" automobile license plates. For an additional fee, authomobile owners can have customized messages on their car tags. Some of the most well-known of the vanity tags have these messages:

2THDR       This reads as "tooth doctor" and belongs to a dentist.
GRLPWR   This reads as "girl power."
NOSUP4U  This reads as "no soup for you!" and echoes the famous Soup Nazi episode on the         popular Sienfeld television series.
ISWALO     This reads as "I swallow" and is a vulgar reference to fellatio.
HIOFICER This reads as "Hi, officer!" and is a message to any police officers following the vehicle.
GONPLCS This reads as "Going places."

An extended list of car tags is at www.coolpl8z.com, check out the constantly changing Top 100.  Some are quite vulgar and offensive. You may wonder how some of the slogans got past the censors.

I recently saw a license plate which at first I could not decipher; GETMULA. I eventually understood that it reads as "get moolah." Moolah is a slang word for money. How sad.

The acquisition of money sadly is the primary motivation for many people. A Christian understanding of money is that it is simply a tool, neither evil nor good in and of itself. Ethical acquisition of money, a proper relationship to that money, and its use in furthering the Kingdom of God are proper subjects for Christian discussion.

Proud of a Job Well Done

I recently saw a waste management truck which had the following phrase proudly painted on each side of the truck in large letters, “We’re number one in the number two business!”

This waste management company specializes in emptying and cleaning septic tanks. For those who might not know, in some quarters of the United States, “number one” is a slang phrase for urination while “number two” is slang for defecation. In the phrase painted on the truck, the company is claiming to be “number one” at what they do.  (A different use of the phrase, “number one,” in this case meaning “the best.”)

What does this have to do with this Christian blog? Well, these people are very proud that they do an excellent job in this necessary occupation which is considered to be nasty and unpleasant by most people. Other people may not understand but they can be glad that someone does the job and does it well and proudly.

This is analogous to the Body of Christ. Not everyone is in a glamorous or respected position but everyone is necessary for the proper function of the Body of Christ.

“For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [a]any the less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason [b]any the less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 (NASB: New American Standard Bible)

Not everyone is suited to be a medical missionary in a hot steamy mosquito-infested jungle. Those who are called are glad to do it.

Not everyone is suited to be a missionary among violent urban gang members. Those who are called are glad to do it.

Not everyone is suited to teach a kindergarten Sunday School class every Sunday morning for forty-three years. Those who are called are glad to do it.

The French Roman Catholic Nicholas Herman (1605-1691) is better known as Brother Lawrence. Though he shunned public life and lived as a lay brother in a monastery, he became known worldwide for his piety and his “practice of the presence of the Lord.” He cooked food and washed the monk’s dishes for God. When he became too feeble to run a kitchen, he repaired the monk’s shoes for God. Everything he did he did for “… God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

OMG!

OMG!  Stop with the OMG already!  This exclamation is everywhere, on television, in every movie, on the streets, on children's playgrounds.

OMG began as a shortcut for cell phone texting and is the exclamation of surprise, "Oh ... my ... God!'

I have tried to explain to a frequent user of the phrase why Christians find this to be offensive but it just flew right by their understanding. It is a trivialization of the Holy Name, taking the name of God to the same level as vulgarities and profanities.

A Come to Jesus Moment

This post is about a current American idiomatic phrase: a come to Jesus moment.  I had heard this phrase used before in a sports context, then later in business and in politics.  I had an idea what it meant but decided to investigate it, so I went to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/ )

On this website, Internet respondents can submit their interpretation(s) of current slang (popular "street" idioms).  Besides the traditional religious interpretation of the phrase, there were several fanciful, sarcastic,  and/or vulgar comments.

The most accurate interpretation of this phrase seems to be one of being called into a meeting in which one is severely criticized and possibly threatened with strict punishment for one's actions or attitudes.  The intent of the meeting is to produce an emotional response which produces a complete change in behavior and/or attitude.

This seems to play into a popular misconception of Jesus, and "religion" in general, as stuffy, unpleasant,  hypercritical, prudish, threatening, and disapproving.   This is an insulting stereotype.