2011年ESL之日常生活 08 Disagreeing about Religion（打印版）

2011年ESL之日常生活 08 Disagreeing about Religion（在线收听）

08 Disagreeing about Religion

GLOSSARY

religion – a system of belief about the origins and purpose of life, including theceremonies and rituals that are connected with it

* Becca was raised as a Christian, but lately she has been studying otherreligions, such as Buddhism and Jainism.

taboo – something that is unacceptable in a particular culture or society andshould not be spoken about

* Whenever Melina’s family gets together, they never talk about her drinkingproblem, because it’s a taboo subject in their family.

to bait (someone) – to say certain things to try to get a strong reaction fromsomeone, especially by making him or her become angry

* Just ignore him! He’s only baiting you because he wants to see you get angryin front of the manager.

spirituality – interest in and beliefs about the origin and meaning of life andreligion

* Dag has started reading a lot about spirituality, because he wants tounderstand what happens after we die.

disparaging remark – something one says to show that one does not thinksomeone or something is good or important

* Why does your mother always make so many disparaging remarks about howyour sister dresses?

faith – a belief in something that cannot be seen or felt

* Tiffany’s faith was tested when a lot of bad things started happening to herfamily.

sacred – holy; related to a god or religion

* Which books are sacred in your religion?

provocative – done to make other people become angry or upset, or to have astrong reaction

* I just finished reading a provocative book about racism.

superstition – a belief that something is lucky or unlucky

* Do you believe in the superstition that walking under a ladder is bad luck?

there you go again – a phrase used to emphasize that one has just doneexactly what one was denying or promising not to do again

* Yolanda, you promised to manage your money better this year, but now thereyou go again, needing to ask your parents to help you pay your bills.

to call (something) like (one) sees it – to provide one’s true opinion withoutsoftening it at all, even though one knows other people might become upset bywhat one says

* For years we’ve avoided talking about politics whenever Grandpa visited, butfrom now on, I’m just going to call it like I see it, even if it upsets him.

fundamentalist – someone who follow religious laws very strictly and believeseverything in the holy books is true

* Christian fundamentalists believe the world was created in just seven 24-hoursdays.

atheist – a person who does not believe in God; a person who denies theexistence of God

* Marcus is an atheist who believes that after we die, our spirit just stops existingand there is no life after death.

agnostic – a person who does not know whether or not God exists; a personwho believes it is not possible to know whether God exists

* Sue doesn’t follow any major religions, but she thinks it’s possible that Godexists, so she calls herself an agnostic.

to defend – to protect someone or something from attack; to say or do things toshow that something is true or good when someone else is confronting it

* How can you defend the actions of a murderer?

behold – a word used to draw attention to something, often in a funny way

* Behold! I have created a five-course gourmet meal for us to eat tonight.

tolerance – a willingness to let other people do, say, and believe what they wantwithout feeling the need to criticize or change them

* Not everyone shares our beliefs, so we need to learn tolerance if we’re going tosucceed in life.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What does Jim mean when he says, “religion is a taboo subject”?

a) Religion is a very serious subject.

b) Religion is something that shouldn’t be talked about.

c) Religion is very complex.

2. Which of these is a superstition?

a) A belief that animals have spirits.

b) A belief that people should not drink alcohol.

c) A belief that it is bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.

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WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to bait (someone)

The phrase “to bait (someone)” in this podcast, means to say certain things to tryto get a strong reaction from someone, especially by making him or her becomeangry: “Do you think she really believes those things, or was she just sayingthose things to bait you?” The phrase “to rise to the bait” means to react stronglyto what someone is saying when he or she is trying to make one angry: “He’strying to make you mad. Don’t rise to the bait.” “Bait” is the small piece of foodor other object used to attract a fish or animal so that one can catch it: “Wouldworms or bugs be better bait for catching salmon?” The phrase “to bait” meansto put a piece of bait on a hook or in a trap: “Careful you don’t hurt your fingerwhen you bait the hook.”

faith

In this podcast, the word “faith” means a belief in something that cannot be seenor felt: “Sandra’s deep faith in God guides all her actions and decisions.” Thephrase “faith healing” refers to the ability to make a person healthy without usingmedicine, asking God to take away the illness or injury: “Pentecostals believe infaith healing.” The word “faith” can also refer to the feeling of confidence andtrust that one has in another person: “You can have faith in me. I won’t let youdown.” The phrase “in good faith” means with true and honest intentions: “Isigned that agreement in good faith, without realizing how risky it would be.”

CULTURE NOTE

The United States was the first country to not have an official “state-sponsored”

(supported by the state) religion. The First “Amendment” (official change) to theU.S. “Constitution” (the most powerful law in the country) is part of the “Bill ofRights” and guarantees “freedom of religion,” letting people decide whichreligion(s) they will follow.

People have immigrated to the United States from all over the world, bringingtheir religions with them. Today, Americans follow “diverse” (many different kindsof) religions.

Although it is hard to find “exact” (precise; accurate) numbers that everyoneagrees on, most Americans are Christian. In a 2008 survey, 76% of thepopulation was Christian. More than half of all Americans are Protestant, 25%are Catholic, and almost 2% are Mormon. Of course, there are many“denominations” (religious branches or types) within the Protestant category.

In recent years, more and more people have begun responding to surveys bysaying that they have “no religious preference” or “no religious identification.”

Many of these people are atheists and agnostics, but others simply don’t “identifywith” (feel connected to) the categories listed on the surveys. In 2008, about15% of Americans were in this category.

About 2% of Americans identified with Judaism, followed by Islam, Buddhism,Hinduism, and other religions.

Religious beliefs “vary” (are different) with geography. In the Southern “BibleBelt” (the southeastern part of the United States where there are very strongChristian beliefs), as much as 86% of the population believes in God, but in theWestern states, that falls to about 59%.

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Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – b; 2 – c

COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 681: Disagreeingabout Religion.

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 681. I’m your host, Dr.

Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from – where else – beautiful Los Angeles,California. That’s right!

Visit our website at eslpod.com. You will learn the secret of life, as well asimprove your English by downloading our Learning Guides.

This episode is a dialogue between Jim and Tammy called “Disagreeing aboutReligion.” Let’s get started.

[start of dialogue]

Jim: You know that religion is a taboo subject, especially with Paul. Why wereyou baiting him all through dinner?

Tammy: I wasn’t baiting him. We have very different views on spirituality and Iwanted to discuss the subject with him.

Jim: You were making disparaging remarks about his faith and some of thethings he holds most sacred. I think you were trying to be provocative.

Tammy: I may have said a few things that were provocative, but I don’tunderstand how people can believe in superstitions.

Jim: There you go again! People’s religious beliefs shouldn’t be calledsuperstitions.

Tammy: I’m just calling it like I see it. I didn’t know you were such afundamentalist.

Jim: I’m not a fundamentalist. In fact, I’m an atheist, or at least an agnostic, but Istill try to show respect for other people’s beliefs.

Tammy: Beliefs are made to be challenged. If you can’t defend your beliefs, youshouldn’t have them.

Jim: Ladies and gentlemen, behold the voice of tolerance.

[end of dialogue]

It’s commonly accepted by most Americans that if you are among strangers –among people you don’t know – you don’t typically discuss politics or religion.

But that’s not what happened in our dialogue. Jim says to Tammy, “You knowthat religion is a taboo subject, especially with Paul.” “Religion,” of course, refersto a system of belief, a system of practices about how to run your life. It usuallyinvolves certain ceremonies, what we would call “rituals,” that are connected withit. Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism; all of these could be consideredreligions. A “taboo” (taboo) here means something that is unacceptable in aparticular culture or society; it’s something that you don’t talk about because it isconsidered so evil or so bad or so controversial. Jim asks, “Why were youbaiting him (baiting Paul) all through dinner?” “To bait (bait) (someone)” is to saycertain things in order to get a strong reaction from that person, often to makethem angry, to say something you know will make them angry. “Bait,” as a noun,is what you use to try to catch fish. You put the bait on the end of a long stringthat you put down into the water, and the fish comes and gets the bait – the food– and then you pull on the string – on the line, the fishing line – in order to catchthe fish. That’s where that expression comes from.

Tammy says, “I wasn’t baiting him. We have very different views on spiritualityand I wanted to discuss the subject with him.” “Spirituality” is a more generalterm used to talk about one’s interest in and beliefs about the meaning of life, themeaning of religion. Nowadays, depending on where you see it, it often refers towhat we might call “alternative” religious experiences, those that are not part ofthe more popular religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and so forth. Butit can also be used to describe someone in a particular religion, their particularbeliefs and ideas about something.

Jim then says, “You were making disparaging remarks about his faith.” “To makedisparaging remarks” means to say something to show that you don’t thinksomething else is good, you don’t think it’s important, to say bad things aboutanother person or another idea that you don’t like. A “remark” is simply acomment, something you say. “Disparaging” means to criticize it, to say it is bador wrong. Jim says Tammy was making disparaging remarks about Paul’s faith.

“Faith” here means simply his belief in something. He says that she was makingdisparaging remarks about some of the things that Paul holds most sacred.

“Sacred” (sacred) here means holy, related to God, related to religion. He “holdsthem sacred,” that’s just the expression we use. We use the verb “hold” meaninghe has these beliefs, he believes these things are holy, that you shouldn’tcriticize them or make fun of them. Jim then says to Tammy, “I think you were trying to be provocative.” “To be provocative” means to do something that makesother people upset, it might even make them angry. It definitely is something thatproduces a strong reaction. Sometimes it can be used in a sexual sense; ifsomeone says, “That dress is very provocative,” they mean that it is sexy, that itproduces a certain reaction in the people who see it, not always positive.

Tammy says, “I may have said a few things that were provocative, but I don’tunderstand how people can believe in superstitions.” “Superstition” (superstition)is a belief in things that are lucky or not lucky. So for example, some peoplehave a rabbit’s foot – at least they used to, I don’t know if they sell rabbits’ feetanymore. But when I was a child you could buy a rabbit’s foot, and this wasconsidered a lucky object; it was actually called a lucky “charm” (charm). This ismuch closer to the idea of magic, where if you do something, something willhappen automatically, no question about it.

Tammy is saying that Paul is someone who believes in superstitions. Jim says,“There you go again!” “There you go again” is a phrase used to emphasize thatyou have just done exactly what you were denying or promising not to do again.

The phrase was made famous back in a political debate in 1980 between RonaldReagan and Jimmy Carter. When Carter made some statement, Reagan turnedto him and said, “There you go again Mr. President,” something like that. But inmore general terms, it just means that you are saying to the person you aredoing whatever they said they weren’t going to do again.

Jim says, “People’s religious beliefs shouldn’t be called superstitions.” Tammysays, “I’m just calling it like I see it.” The phrase “to call (something) like you seeit” means that you are giving your true opinion, and you’re not worried about whatother people are going to think or say. You’re not worried about making otherpeople angry or not, you’re simply describing the situation as you perceive it – asyou see it. Tammy is a little confused since superstition and magic are based onthe idea that if you do certain things, as I mentioned earlier, other things willhappen. If you say certain words certain results are guaranteed, if you will. SoGod, or the gods, or some higher power doesn’t really have a choice. In religionit’s somewhat the opposite; most religions believe that there are certain thingsyou should do, but that God or the higher power is the one who’s in control, notyou. But Tammy knows that this is considered an insulting term, really, forpeople who are religious, and so she uses that term “superstitious,” or“superstitions.” Then she says, “I didn’t know you (Jim) were such afundamentalist.” Once again, the word “fundamentalist” is one that is sometimesused as an insult, not in all cases. A “fundamentalist” would be someone whofollows religious laws very strictly, does everything they’re supposed to do, andbelieves in every aspect of the religion. In the United States it has other meanings, more technical if you will, but we won’t go into those here. Tammy isreally using the word as an insult in a general sense, without perhapsunderstanding exactly the technical differences in what fundamentalism reallymeans.

Jim says, “I’m not a fundamentalist. In fact,” Jim says, “I’m an atheist, or at leastan agnostic.” An “atheist” is a person who does not believe in God or in gods.

It’s a person who denies the existence of a higher power of a god. An “agnostic”

(agnostic) is a person who says that they don’t know whether God exists or not, aperson who believes that it isn’t possible, perhaps, to know that God exists. SoJim is also confused; he’s not sure if he’s an atheist or an agnostic. He says,however, “I still try to show respect for other people’s beliefs. Tammy says,“Beliefs (things that you believe in) are made to be challenged (are made to bedefended).” In fact, she says, “If you can’t defend your beliefs, you shouldn’thave them.” “To defend” means to protect something or someone from someoneelse who’s attacking them; to say or do things, in this case, to show that what youbelieve is true and you have good reasons for believing that.

Jim then makes a joke; he says, “Ladies and gentlemen, behold the voice oftolerance.” “Ladies and gentlemen” is what you say when you are talking to alarge group of people and trying to get their attention – trying to get them to listento you. Here, though, it’s just Tammy and Jim, so he’s joking. He says, “beholdthe voice of tolerance.” “Behold” (behold) is a very formal word that means todraw attention to something. Nowadays it’s used more as a joke; it’s not used inthe way that it perhaps used to be used. So Jim is saying “everyone look at thisperson.” He calls Tammy “the voice of tolerance.” “The voice of…” means thatshe is speaking as if she were that person. But this isn’t a real person, this is anidea that she is apparently speaking for, and that idea is tolerance (tolerance).

“Tolerance” is a willingness to let other people do, say, and believe what theywant to without feeling like you have to criticize them or change them. It’sallowing other people to be what they want to be. Jim is making a joke; he’ssaying that, in fact, Tammy is not a voice of tolerance, that by criticizing Paul she,in fact, is being intolerant, not allowing people to believe what they want to, in asense.

Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.