Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Difference of opinion

[John Angulat]

Who doesn't love a good debate?
When not an active participant, the next best thing is listening to a well presented argument.
The younger fellow on the left was a passionate street-corner evangelist of the Christian faith, preaching and proselytizing.
Complete with a portable PA system, he was preaching for all the world to hear.
I thought the passing crowd's reactions might offer a photo opportunity so I hung around.
The older man on the right, a conservative member of the Hebrew faith waited patiently also. Every 2 or 3 minutes the evangelist would pause to hand out literature.
Seizing the moment, the elder gentleman began to politely offer his views on religion.
What ensued was a wonderful and dramatic exchange of philosophies.
I soon realized I wasn't shooting. The elder gentleman's eloquence and command of language had me mesmerized.
Every point was punctuated by broad sweeping gestures. He was a master!

Life in New York...from my wanderings​

 

[Asher Kelman]

I wish you had recorded the exchange. It's like a game of chess. The debate will continue until each man in the argument from the left is checked for background. As men fall, the board shrinks. Ultimately the guy on the left will redefine the board that the divine presence was moved from Jerusalem to Rome.

When that happens the game must end. But getting there is a thrill to watch.

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, John,

Nice shot.

The older man on the right, a conservative member of the Hebrew faith . .

You perhaps mean the Jewish faith (although there are those who have an almost religious attachment to a particular language!).

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi, John,

Nice shot.


You perhaps mean the Jewish faith (although there are those who have an almost religious attachment to a particular language!).

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

I'd accept a Hebrew as a Jew!

The ancient Hebrews gave rise to the modern Jews. Traditionally though, at times they spoke Aramaic, (similar to Hebrew and related to the modern Assyrian language), in the New World, Ladino while for 10-12 million in Europe, Yiddish. Classical biblical Hebrew was reserved for prayers and literature as it was the "holy tongue".

The use of modern hebrew for lay folk, for everyday communication was part of the rebirth of the Jewish people in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today, for most Israeli Jews, hebrew is the only Jewish language and except for the ultra-orthodox has replaced Yiddish as the ordinary language of daily work, study entertainment and life.

Likely, the man on the right can speak fluent hebrew, yiddish in addition to his erudite use of English. however, he's an exception, for sure!

Asher

 

[John Angulat]

I wish you had recorded the exchange...
Asher

Asher, so true! It was an honest, open dialog. The give-and-take between the two sounded almost scripted. Designed to be a "performance art" piece, played out upon the street.

Hi, John,
Nice shot.
You perhaps mean the Jewish faith (although there are those who have an almost religious attachment to a particular language!).
Doug

Doug, thanks, and I stand corrected in my error of language vs. religion.


Interesting too, although the dialog was cordial it clearly had its moments of exasperation. Especially for the older gent.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Asher, so true! It was an honest, open dialog. The give-and-take between the two sounded almost scripted. Designed to be a "performance art" piece, played out upon the street.

I wish you had gotten their names!


Doug, thanks, and I stand corrected in my error of language vs. religion.

Interesting too, although the dialog was cordial it clearly had its moments of exasperation. Especially for the older gent.

What a remarkable moment. It's like getting a peak of a jump in dance or a play in sports! The exasperation sometimes comes merely from comes from different translations of texts. The guy on the left is "chapter and verse"-anchored. So he feels absolutely secure in his stance. After all, it's the one bible we all agree on! So the frustration can occur for the fellow on the right when the original text has been translated to Greek by one scholar of one religious order and then retranslated to English by yet more folk. The bible each person holds can end up rather disparate in meaning and hence consequence! Even simple words like "father" have meanings that can be utterly different.

Asher

 

[fahim mohammed]

John, I was wondering what if I had happened to pass by? Guess they would have stopped arguing with each other. LOL.

Also there is at least one other major language which has similar origins as Hebrew and is more commonly spoken, in prayers and as a routine and daily form of communication..spoken and written.

There are Israeli Arabs who speak Hebrew and Yiddish. As do quite a few Palestinians and Arabs of
neighboring countries.

Just as a lot of Israeli citizens speak and write Arabic.

 

[John Angulat]

I think, my friend, you'd have been warmly welcomed.
However, at that point a moderator might have been necessary, if only to give all an equal opportunity to explain their respective faiths and beliefs!
And I believe you would have presented your point of view with the same intelligence and respect as these two did.