Most Over Used Fundie Words or Phrases

[fundiefan]

Sweet

Diligent

Servants Heart

...a heart for...

...laid it on my heart...

Godly

Blessing/blessed

Fellowship/fellowshipping

In the Word

Believe on Jesus

Authority

Headship

Courtship

Commanded

The LORD

Personal relationship with Jesus/Christ/whatever

Delight in...

Pretty much any word used in a fundie phrase takes on a whole new meaning.

They have a very limited scope of things, language included. Which is fine, because when they attempt to branch out they come up with shit like the Tool's blog intro...'Herein inscribed in this weblog journal are the up-to-this-very-instant comments and reviews, criticisms and commentary, and reflections of Doug Phillips'. Let's face it, their heads are too far up their asses and they simply are not equipped to explore language.

[jaynie]

According to one of my profs, the overuse of jargon can make it difficult to leave toxic environments-- largely because nobody in the normal world (the worldly world, I guess) has a clue what you're talking about. It adds to the culture shock people already feel I guess -- almost like an American in the UK being bewildered by pants and pavements and so on. There is also the idea of a thought-terminating cliche, but I'm not sure how well supported that is by psychological science. It certainly seems plausible. Saying "God laid it on my heart..." is presumably a lot harder to argue with than "I want to" even though they mean the same thing.

Defrauding is both my favourite and least favourite fundie word -- least favourite because if you think about the meaning of it for a second or two it becomes apparent how unbelievably awful it is. Favourite because we FJers take the piss out of it the most. On many a morning I've looked at myself in the mirror and thought "oh, this shirt is a little defrauding!" (and then worn it anyway, because fuck the patriarchy.). I've also been using gleaned a lot lately. Don't know what that says about me...

[Hane]

According to one of my profs, the overuse of jargon can make it difficult to leave toxic environments-- largely because nobody in the normal world (the worldly world, I guess) has a clue what you're talking about. It adds to the culture shock people already feel I guess -- almost like an American in the UK being bewildered by pants and pavements and so on. There is also the idea of a thought-terminating cliche, but I'm not sure how well supported that is by psychological science. It certainly seems plausible. Saying "God laid it on my heart..." is presumably a lot harder to argue with than "I want to" even though they mean the same thing.

Spectacular point!

[fundiefan]

Spectacular point!

I've heard that in many contexts over the years and I believe it. It's part of why abused women stay with abusive men; it's part of the cult control, it's part of how tyrants can convince an entire nation to follow their insanity. It's sort of like the 'big lie' theory - say it often enough people believe it. It's all about manipulation and control. In the case of words, if I remember what I learned years ago correctly, it's creating meaning so that other meanings are not accepted. It goes into linguistics which I know nothing about but I do remember the example used to clarify what I was trying to understand even if I don't remember the entire context - a table is a table is a table. Who created that word and how did it come to define what we (English speakers) know as a table?

In the same vein, people give meaning to words and phrases based on their worlds/lives/cultures.

So, the 'laid it on my heart' versus 'I want' is a prime, perfect example of what I am only barely explaining and only slightly more remembering. Used often enough, for long enough, few people in that group will even have a clue what 'I want' means.

On another note, if I hear about purity and guarding your heart one more time I may barf.

[Hane]

And, all too often, people have no idea how self-limiting such jargon can be. For example, when my sister was in a grad school program (sixth-year certification for school administrators), one of her study group classmates was a Franciscan nun. (This order does a great deal of work out in the "real world.") As one class assignment approached its due date, Sister M. told her professor that she might not be able to turn it in on time, because she "was pleading poverty of time." The professor responded, "Well, everyone in this group is busy, too." But "poverty of time," in the sister's case, meant something different and specific: that there weren't enough hours in her day to cover her obligations at the convent, her professional job, AND her coursework. Once the professor learned what the term "poverty of time" meant, she was more sympathetic--but the nun could have made the situation easier on herself if she'd given a specific description of her situation, rather than relying on convent-speak.

[Savoring Samsara]

Spectacular point!

Agreed. Also, if certain fundie sayings like "God said it, I believe it, that settles it" are not a thought terminating cliche, I don't know what is.

[HoneyBunny]

Eye traps!

(Two words that were never adjacent to each other prior to fundieism.)