Language behavior

Studying how society uses language is interesting. The term language behavior has been coined to describe society's use of language. Society is fickle and hypocritical about its language use. Everyone has heard someone say about the way a friend delivered some news, "You didn't have be so harsh or cold in the way you said that." Not long after hearing those words, the same person has turned around and said, "Why didn't you say what you meant. I don't understand polite." Yes, how fickle.

People make value judgments about others just by the way others speak. If the person is using heavy vernacular, we judge and react accordingly. If the person seems eloquent or "articulate," we act a different way from the way we react to the person using his/her vernacular. If dialect different from our own is used, we react a certain way to that as well.

So, I accept the way people view New Testament translation even though I characterize it as disappointing. We are victims of circumstance of our own language. I guess I am out to change that circumstance, but I know I could not change it single-handedly and not quickly. So, I expect people's fickle comments about liking or not liking new translations or individual's translations to be suspicious or not preferential or bizarre. The language of religion follows the customs of religion, so change is slow, value judgments are not quick to follow generational changes, and reactions reflect caution. I don't like the truth offered by this observation, so I for one am out to change religious language behavior.