Comments on: Language or religion: which is the greater fault line in diverse societies?

By: Paul Desailly

Paul Desailly — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 05:55:46 +0000

What’s to forgive you about Matt? I’d assumed that all save me (it’s meant to be ‘all save I’ isn’t it?) on professor Ingrid’s superb site are academics or about to be.

You’ve nailed the links i mo in that the first chapter of John in the good Book underscores language, religion, creation and all of us with the Word of God in one holistic plan.

‘I’ve never seen a church recently that preaches against a particular language…’ I can’t recall such a thing either, even when the Nazis ruled Germany. Nevertheless, many religious leaders by their actions in compositions, speeches, sermons etc leave the congregation in little doubt as to which language is best if not in reality blessed,

In the case of virtually all Baha’i leaders as individuals, who by definition according to Baha’i texts are like every one else – no one is perfect anyway – it’s their inaction vis-a-vis the language principle and re Esperanto (an auxlang enjoined upon all of them in authoritative texts in English and in Farsi, i.e. the two de facto official languages of that religion) that leaves the six million strong Baha’i community pretty much convinced about the languages of these cultures. I mean to say, you’ll never find Baha’is, who believe in the oneness of religion anyway, opining that they have a better religion but their actions speak for themselves as to which cultures merit attention.

“From Babel to Baha’i” depicts all this in a recent new work penned by this amateur

All the best

Paul

By: Matt

Matt — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 03:01:37 +0000

Forgive me if I sound uneducated–I am by no means an academic on the subject–but I do have a heart for languages, diversity, equality, and religion.
I think discrimination, in any form, is due to preconceived biases of individuals. The problem is when those biased people become influential leaders that impact a movement or action. For example, I am a Christian. I don’t generally talk about religion, or my beliefs about a topic as uncomfortable as say, homosexuality. Yet, many people unfriend me on facebook or discontinue their friendship the minute they discover I’m a Christian, assuming i’m anti-gay. There are churches that are pro-homosexuality, and churches that are anti-homosexuality.
Another problem is economic inequalities, as many churches preach that men be providers, again filling the idea that men are more financially capable beings.
I’ve never seen a church recently that preaches against a particular language, but the problem arises when each religion preaches they are the better religion–I believe religious equality is just not possible, as they can’t successfully coexist unless they compromise what their book says. Not to mention, Holy books are among the most translated of books–they just have an agenda to push in the meantime.
In short, I believe the issue of inequality stems from people with preconceived beliefs or construed interpretations of who they follow, or perhaps how they were raised.

By: Language on the Move 2015 | Language on the Move

Language on the Move 2015 | Language on the Move — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 08:49:39 +0000

[…] Ingrid Piller, Language or religion: which is the greater fault line in diverse societies? […]

By: Paul Desailly

Paul Desailly — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 04:37:10 +0000

No worries Ingrid.Keep up your wonderful penpersonship against prejudice. Here’s a list of countries and participants attending the Esperantists’ Jubilee Congress:
For access one types in – 2015 – in the box in the middle. The names of countries resemble English. The number of Doctors and Professors and professionals attending is always disproportionately high

In Lille, Indonesia is represented at last and even the newest UN country, East Timor, will send 3 Esperantists
This year, remarkably i m o, more Iranian Esperantists will attend than from Australia and New Zealand combined; about 30 mainly from Teheran.
Given that Esperantists from liberal Australia, and from conservative parts of the Middle East, from China and Japan who still have issues from WW2, and from dozens of really diverse cultures, can all get along well on a mini global scale and approach subjects that some countries find really difficult vis-a-vis gay marriage, homosexuality, post WW2 relations in East Asia, Baha’i-Jewish-Muslim issues of concern etc etc shows there’s hope yet i m o .

By: Ingrid Piller

Ingrid Piller — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 07:07:25 +0000

In reply to Paul Desailly. Thank you, Paul! I wish I could be there! Maybe one of the attendees will write up a report for Language on the Move? ;-)

By: Paul Desailly

Paul Desailly — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 06:37:36 +0000

When academics utilize an idiomatic or conversational style, the more so in the title of an essay, my antennae go up. Professor Ingrid deserves many plaudits re her consistent efforts thwarting all sorts of prejudice. Highlighting prejudice in language communities and, it must be said, reciprocally, in certain sects of religion, is crucial so that the cure, what ever it will be, may be applied.

In a couple of weeks time in historic Lille 3,000 Esperantists (inc. about 20 from Australia) from 80 countries will gather in a 5 star hotel in France on the occasion of the 100th world congress of Esperanto. Were you to hop on a plane and be there you’d concur, I’m sure, that Dr Zamenhof’s language of world peace is certainly one contender for the role of peace maker extraordinaire. Approx 50% of the thousands of paid up card-carrying private members in the Esperanto movement’s global institution are activists in religion. Atheists, Baha’is, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims etc from Iran to Ireland and beyond will discuss matters ranging from the mundane to the profound in 1 auditorium and no religious prejudice will arise, And, of the 1 million speakers of Esperanto who are not subscribers to the services of the Universal Esperanto Assoc (whose professionally staffed world centre is in Rotterdam) I’d say that not one of them is linguistically prejudiced.

I better mention too that not 1 interpreter will be needed in Lille

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Esperanto_Association