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

Bumper Stickers

On America’s highways one will often see a bumper sticker like this on the rear bumper of an eighteen-wheeler truck, a bus, or a utility vehicle.

If the driver exhibits sloppy or aggressive driving behavior, they can be reported to their employer by a call to the provided phone number, usually a toll-free call. This helps to ensure that the majority drive with care.

Recently, while on a long-distance highway trip, I saw a speeding sports car with a bumper sticker which read:

“How is my driving?  Call 1-800- EAT-SHIT.”

This person is displaying contempt for everyone else. He (or she) is basically saying, “I do not care what you think of my driving.  What you think of my driving does not matter. You do not matter. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.  I am superior to you.”

Contempt and hostility are fueled by disgust at other people’s perceived incompetence and worthlessness. There is an intent to insult and to harm. The type of person who does this is a narcissist: arrogant, dismissive of others, and selfish, with a sense of entitlement.

What is telling is that these same people are also impulsive, immature, restrained only by a fear of being punished, disconnected from other people, manipulative, and hypersensitive to criticism. These are lost people who will be extremely difficult to reach because they will actively reject any attempt to reach them.

“When a wicked man comes, contempt also comes, And with dishonor comes scorn.” Proverbs 18:3 (NASB)

“But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”    2 Timothy 3:1-7 (NASB)

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation 
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Sweet Baby Jesus

"Sweet baby Jesus! It's cold!"

The woman said the phrase, laughing the entire time.  I'm sure she did not understand what she had just done.  It really was cold that morning.

The woman had committed what was probably an unintentional act of blasphemy.  Blasphemy is defined as active contempt, negligent disrespect, or even casual benign failure to respect the holy.  Using the name of Jesus as an exclamation constitutes a blasphemous act.

What Does It mean?: "Raca"

In Matthew 5:21-22, the word "raca" remains untranslated in most versions.  It is an ancient Aramaic term of contempt which means "worthless," or "empty," and comes from a word,  רק
("raq") , meaning "to spit." Raca probably meant that the one to whom it was directed was "a piece of spit."


Jesus is pointing out that we are concerned about "big" sins, like murder or theft, but ignore our own multitude of "little" sins.  Here's a news flash: sin is sin, any sin is a missing of the mark, Αμαρτία.  Any sin renders us unworthy to approach the Holy God.  Our only hope is to be covered by the blood of the Lamb.  When God looks on his people, He sees the blood, He sees His Son.

Film Comment: Vegas in Space

Vegas in Space (1991) is one of the weirdest movies you will ever see.

Three outer space soldiers take pills to transform themselves into women in order to go undercover (as showgirls!) to Vegas in Space, the capital city of an all-female planet. They're there trying to find out who stole Queen Veneer's jewels.

All but two of the parts are played by drag queens, two of whom died of AIDS the same year the film was released. There are unrelenting gowns, glitter, wigs, thick pancake makeup, 27 cent sets, and atrocious over-acting. This movie is up your nose with all it's garishness. I suspect that it is not really intended so much as a film but as an in your face "so what do I care what you think?" statement. It drips hostility to societal norms from every sequin.

What the film actually represents is the final level of moral relativism, where each person defines their own "truth." Each person lives as they choose unconstrained by any norms or common moral ground; "being themselves." Man has no higher judge and any moral rules are merely individual preferences. Many see this as ultimate freedom and personal valuation but, in truth, it declares that there is no real value to anything, including human life. Human life can be manipulated and even discarded, The door is open to the development of fascism.