It strikes me as curious, given the secular nature of our society, the extent to which biblical ideas and phrases permeate our lives.
In a lecture on Environmental Biotechnology last week one of the lecturers was talking about how strict environmental laws are, unless you’re the ones who make the laws. If you’re a regular joe they will “crucify you over a multitude of sins.” (or something like that). Most Christians would be familiar with this kind of language, I’m guessing most non-Christians would understand what the lecturer was saying. I don’t think a christian would use that kind of phrasing because it’s usually associated with something quite different to science.
It’s also extremely common to hear people saying “Oh my god!” Whether they’re shocked, surprised, excited… it doesn’t really seem to matter and it doesn’t seem to occur to anyone what they’re actually saying. What god? Whose god? Do you have a god?
Also common and even more unpleasant is “Jesus Christ!” It makes me want to look around and respond “Where?” Last year the Campus Bible Study mission had the catch phrase “JESUS is not a dirty word”. I would have loved to have one of the hoodies with that printed on the front!
People don’t go around saying “Oh Allah!” or “My Buddah!” Why is that?
There’s also a multitude of phrases that seem to come from the bible including: seek and you shall find; an eye for an eye; am I my brother’s keeper?; a good samaritan; ye of little faith.
Much of the western world has been built on a book that reveals the creator of the earth. His wisdom is woven into his creation, yet ‘there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away.’
Well, I know why people don’t say, “Oh Allah!” It is out of fear (see: Rushdie, Salmon).
I also think that these kind of every day phrases is just another way for God to get over on secular society. It is right up there with the the birth of Christ separating the way the world keeps track of time as we know it (BC/AD).
Fear of Allah or fear of having a fatwa slapped on you? I’ve never really thought of it this way, but I suppose having my beliefs means I don’t believe Allah exists. A fatwa might be something to fear, but I’m guessing that people who don’t care about insulting people with their god’s name wouldn’t care, or wouldn’t even know about fatwas.
What do you mean by “get over on”. I don’t think God finds power and authority (that he well deserves) in having people using his name(s) willy nilly. My impression of God from the bible is that he takes names rather seriously.
I have thought about the BC/AD thing… there are many secularists that have picked up on that distinction and now call it BCE/CE (common era). I really don’t like that.