Series: Mind Your Manners: Rude to God

Mind Your Manners: Rude to God

Mind Your Manners: Rude to God

This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Mind Your Manners: Rude to God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Manners are strange and wonderful things. Every culture has them, and yet they often vary widely between cultures. In Western culture, ‘ladies first’ is a way of expressing deference and honour to women, while in some black cultures in South Africa, a man is to enter every space first to demonstrate his protection of those… Continue Reading

The Strange Silence Around the Third Commandment

The Strange Silence Around the Third Commandment

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Mind Your Manners: Rude to God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” This command is universally understood to mean that God’s name is not to be used as a curse-word, or as a mere exclamation. And who would deny that? To use the very name of God to express irritation or surprise, to add… Continue Reading

Manners and Meaning

Manners and Meaning

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Mind Your Manners: Rude to God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

What do widely varying manners tell us about ordinate affection? Some reason this way: since some cultures regard eye-contact as respectful, and others regard eye-contact as impudent, these opposite understandings of reverence show the relative and subjective nature of manners. These outward expressions are adiaphora – indifferent, neutral things. The morality lies in the person… Continue Reading

Irreverent and Culpable

Irreverent and Culpable

This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Mind Your Manners: Rude to God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

 Thus far in this series, we have seen several truths about manners and their relation to worship and worship forms: All cultures have manners. All cultures recognize the importance of appropriate responses. The expression of these appropriate responses differs greatly between cultures. These differences do not relativize the affections of reverence or honor  They demonstrate that meaning comes… Continue Reading