You Did Not Understand

[Khandro]

Vacuous Julian had the following to say
about our religious beliefs: "I read, I understood,
I condemned". He thought we'd be devastated
by that "condemned", the buffoon.

We Christians however, have no truck with such cleverness.
We answered him straight away: "You read but did not understand;
had you understood, you wouldn't have condemned."


Constantine P. Cavafy (1863-1933) trans. from Greek by Avi Sharon (& Khandro)

The quote referred to in the poem is taken from a letter that Julian wrote to Basil of Caesarea (AD 330-79)

[roopower]

Sorry, not up on this. Which Julian is this?

[roopower]

Ok, just googled, Emperor Julian.

[bookbinder]

What's your question?

[Zacs-Master]

The first poison pen letter?

[TrevorThePug]

Constantine P. Cavafy?

Was that the guy Trump was on about - thought it was Covfefe?

[naomi24]

And ..?

[Atheist]

Are you feeling ok, Khandro?

[jackthehat]

Julian..... and did Sandy concur?

[jno]

presumably the Christians define themselves as the only ones who understand Christianity and would therefore not condemn it; anyone who condemns is a buffoon.

Basil however may have been wrong and Julian right.

[jno]

I'd want to know whether George agreed, jth, and Timmy.

[Mozz71]

That made me chuckle Jack.

[Theland]

If the lectern has had a new coat of varnish, it needs a test run.

[Theland]

Personally I prefer the old soapbox when besting Mozz over the head with King James.

[Jackdaw33]

Julian and Sandy - there's a blast from the past!

Ooh, 'Ello, Mr. Horne, bona to vader your dolly old eke!

[pixie374]

//"You read but did not understand;
had you understood, you wouldn't have condemned."

How presumptuous.

[Peter Pedant]

I think it is
On the punning conclusion, vide note on Letter xli. (ha anegnon egnon kai kategnon.)

and is here

it will be more serious for you to speak to God. No one will appear to mediate between God and man. What you read you did not understand. If you had understood, you would not have condemned.

Letter 41 Basil callinng Julian

[nailit]

Is there some deep message in this because it all sounds like pretentious excretment?
Just dont understand how religious quips, soundbites, bible verses etc are supposed to work.
Should I meditate on it or what??

*Confused from Stoke*

[Peter Pedant]

Blimey: give the usual suspects a few sugar-puffs and they will foo anyone

yup I understood the allusion Khandro and looked up the ref.

a prize thread where the comments run from a moronic 'and' froo to a brain-dead "foo what dat den"

I wd have used lego and kata-krinw - but hey I am not writing in the 3rd century

[Theland]

Dear Confused From Stoke,
Worry not.
Your problems are now our problems.
If anybody does not understand, we will ma!e them an offer they can't refuse, otherwise they will wake up in bed next to a horses head.

[Peter Pedant]

that made me chuckle Jack
de bells Jark, de bells, do ye hear de bells Jark
( Klute auditioning for St Joan in an Irish accent 1967)

Should I meditate on it or what??
yeah they didnt have much to do in the third century beside houshold chores and go to church
In Byzantium 1400 someone notes that even washer women were discussing theology at water pumps as they drew the day's water

so it might well be read from apulpit and then a priest expatiate on it ( sermons cd easily go on for three hours)