Posted by
peripheral on Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:25:30 AM
From My Perspective - - -
The mental picture of a Sow or a Hog flying boggles the mind and over-taxes ones imagination.The
expression – “when pigs fly” – has been with us for many years. Yahoo
Answers includes this possible meaning: “You have to go back a long way
to find the original of this idea. It seems to have been a traditional
Scottish proverb, which was first written down in 1586 in an edition of
John Withal's English-Latin dictionary for children. This had an
appendix of proverbs rendered into Latin, of which one was the usual
form of the proverb in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: "pigs
fly in the air with their tails forward". If they did indeed fly, the
proverb argues, flying backwards would seem a small extra feat.” The
answer goes on to say: “Another version is more famous, because it
appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: "I've a
right to think," said Alice sharply...Just about as much right, said
the Duchess, as pigs have to fly."
Wikipedia
has a more profound possibility. It allows that “The phrase – when pigs
fly – is an adynaton, that is, a figure of speech so hyperbolic
(creative exaggeration) that it describes an impossibility. The
implication of such a phrase is that the circumstances in question (the
adynaton, and the circumstances to which the adynaton are being
applied) will never occur.” Another
source states: “When pigs fly is an informal way to joke that someone
will never do something or something will never happen. Example: "Do
you think you will ever work at that company again? Reply: When pigs
fly!" Some
humorist with an obvious idle moment mused: “…and pigs could fly if
they had wings, and pigs may fly, but they are very unlikely birds.” It
amounts to: “the odds of something happening are close to zero.”
A story from Sky News in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2010 reported the following: “A
toy shop has been branded "ridiculous" by mothers after it removed a
pig from a children's farm set – in case it offended Muslim and Jewish
parents. The animal was missing from the Early Learning Centre’s (ELC) Happy Land
Goose-feather Farm when a mother bought it as a gift for her daughter's
first birthday. The set did contain a cow, sheep, chicken, horse and
dog, but the pig sty was empty – even though there was a button that
made an "oink" noise. When the mother named only as Caroline
complained, she was told in an email the pig had been removed in case
it upset Muslim or Jewish parents. Eating pork is banned in both
religions because pigs are considered unclean.” It would be interesting
to know why the “oink” survived the purge of the Happy Land
Goose-feather Farm. Wouldn’t a Muslim or Jewish child be religiously
offended by the sound of an unclean animal? This is another instance of
political correctness run amuck.
The
idea of employing political correctness by removing a toy pig from a
child’s Learning Activity seems to be preposterous. It’s tantamount to
allowing – “if we don’t let you see it, it doesn’t exist.” Touching the
toy pig would neither glamorize the pig in Muslim and Jewish Culture,
nor would it pervert the psyche of the child. In a Biblical sense,
there are some things that one should be sensitive toward lest they
prove to be offensive to another, or one who is “weaker” especially in
the faith. Romans 14:1-8 sets the parameters and guideline for us. Note
– “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One
person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only
vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls…Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he
gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of
the Lord and gives thanks to God…” The crux of the matter is given in
Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” The issue is not who is right. The issue is to prevent becoming a stumbling block before another.Consider these things with me!