You implied my list was too British for you, an American, although half of my list was American things. If something deriving from another country is a problem for you, then I pointed out the bible is from another country. We were talking about Heisig and his book which he presumably wrote for others to read. We weren't talking about whether bible stories are easier for you to remember, only if they were generally easier. A lot of people here think they are not, or have no knowledge of those stories at all.

I don't think he weighed the sensibilities of his target audience at all. I think he just wrote down stories that he found useful for himself. You can see how this is not as effective as tailoring stories to the general populace. He's a religious scholar, and so he knows a lot of bizarre Christian minutia. The general populace does not, from any country.

Bible stories are far more universal than King Arthur and Robin Hood... surely you must realise that?

I think he just wrote down stories that he found useful for himself.

That's kinda the point of the book.

reading the Bible in Japanese is a really good way to practice your reading skills... even for those of you that are not Christian, reading is reading right?... i really recommend this one in particular: http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-English-B...85&sr=8-20 it's entirely in furigana and covers both the old and new testaments along with side by side English translations... i read through it a lot and i am surprised how much i can understand out of it... i may mine it sometime in the future

After thinking about it abit I can understand how his stories would be influenced by Christianity, alot of my stories have Pagan influences all through them, and yet many more are occupied with environmentalism.

$75 for a Japanese Bible??? HOLY ****!!!
I got kind of excited for a moment. I read the Bible several times as a child and it would be interesting to do it again in Japanese with side by side English translation but JEE! Original price $125? Was it hand written with real octopus ink? It is New International and not King James so my old church back in the Bible Belt would consider it suspect.

bodhisamaya Wrote:It is New International and not King James so my old church back in the Bible Belt would consider it suspect.

Ah, but you forget; the New International Version (NIV) isn't just a new translation, it's the Nearly Inspired Version

I'm sure you could find a Japanese Bible online and set it up next to the English version(with the firefox Split Browser addon). I wouldn't be surprised if there's already parallel texts out there. The only problems would be no furigana. Rikaichan and dictionaries don't always tell you the right readings.

Here's the first link on google for "japanese bible." It's free. Looks like good stuff, if you wanted a japanese bible and don't want to pay $76 as above. I'm not sure having a bilingual bible would be that important. You can just have that and an English version separately and still compare them if you want, or just go monolingual.

http://www.ibsstl.org/bibles/japanese/index.php

Here's Genesis for example:
http://www.ibs.org/bibles/japanese/pdf/ot/genesis.pdf

「光よ、輝け」と神様が命じました。 "Light, shine!" God ordered. Not exactly "And God said 'let there be light.'"

Back in the old days, in the English speaking world, the Bible was the only book many people owned and so they would use it as their grammar to learn how to read.

This topic is almost as schizophrenic as I am. @_@

If you don't appreciate the biblical reference, don't use the book. I'm not catholic either but I still don't get insulted when he makes biblical references. Other than arrogance, I can see no reason for somebody to be offended by Heisig using any type of reference at all to make kanji (an otherwise hard to remember kanji) easy to remember.

I'm sure there's much more interesting ways to practice reading then reading the bible....

bombpersons Wrote:I'm sure there's much more interesting ways to practice reading then reading the bible....

I can't figure out why anyone would rather read a science journal than a novel, or watch the news instead of anime, but... *shrugs* Let people read what they want to read.

bombpersons Wrote:I'm sure there's much more interesting ways to practice reading then reading the bible....

Again, dumb/incorrect statements like that just show ones arrogance, RTK 1 uses some biblical references here and there, doesn't mean you have to exaggerate and say you're "reading the bible".

lazar Wrote:

bombpersons Wrote:I'm sure there's much more interesting ways to practice reading then reading the bible....

Again, dumb/incorrect statements like that just show ones arrogance, RTK 1 uses some biblical references here and there, doesn't mean you have to exaggerate and say you're "reading the bible".

I think he was just following up on the posts about reading the Bible in Japanese. :/

if you read the Bible in Japanese though, you'll be using words like あなたがた　in no time
there are plenty of he said this and he said that sentences as well... good back and forth conversations between Jesus and his disciples and other people too...

Shtephen Wrote:Those stories were not to beneficial mainly because I cant really remember any of Heisig's stories mainly just my own. What did bother me is that he would give key words that didn't have any explanations for example #1309 he gives the key word Story and I didn't know it was for a story in a house or a building like the first floor or second floor. I thought it had to do with a story in a book. When I finished the book and got to my sentences that's when I started to figure out what was going on.

In my book 1309 is 'storey', which is a different word to 'story'.

plumage Wrote:With regards to Heisig, RtK was created way before the internet, so one man by himself in Japan back when it was written has only so many references to go on.

<PEDANTIC>

No, the Internet was alive and well when Heisig first sat down to study Japanese.

</PEDANTIC>

The World Wide Web is another matter however.

I'm astonished and disappointed at the level of vitriol and intolerance shown in this thread.

Heisig used allegory from Christianity, Buddhism, myth and fable. His writings are typical of someone with a strong classical education. Most here have not had such an education. A small number of posters here appear to have hardly had an education at all.

At no stage in his books does he attempt to proselytize.

Rather than take umbrage at non-existent and imagined sleights, why not take the opportunity to gain some incidental and fascinating snippets of knowledge. Reading Heisig can introduce one to the Golden Bough, the tale of 桃太郎, and more.

If individuals then wish to re-craft their stories in the context of Mickey Mouse, Robin Hood, or Maggie Thatcher, then they should do so. That's what this method is all about, and Heisig simply gives a good leg up along the way.

Did I miss an intoleranct post somewhere in this thread aimed at Heisig? :/
People are begging to be offended today. Somebody needs to step up and help them out!

2728 譬 parable
"It is not what enters into the MOUTH that defiles a man, but the SPICY WORDS that proceed out". -Matthew 15:11 (I use little yellow FLAGs to mark my favorite parables).

I am guilty too!

onafarm Wrote:A small number of posters here appear to have hardly had an education at all.

Anybody notice people always start using obscure words when they call other people dumb? I wonder if it's a subconscious thing.

cracky Wrote:

onafarm Wrote:A small number of posters here appear to have hardly had an education at all.

Anybody notice people always start using obscure words when they call other people dumb? I wonder if it's a subconscious thing.

Which word is obscure?

I agree with bombpersons though, having been force to read the bible as a kid, I have simply no interest in it. Or perhaps since I have read a lot of it, and heard people talk about it a lot, there is simply no curiosity for me to wonder what's in it... even in Japanese.

If it makes anyone feel any better, Satan is featured prominently in many of my stories, I can add those to the site here.

Maybe not obscure but vitriol sounds rather snobbish.
Don't use a big word where a diminutive one will suffice

Hey! I lived in Las Vegas for eight years. Almost had three posters in a row from Vegas. Lake Mead all dried up yet?

bodhisamaya Wrote:Maybe not obscure but vitriol sounds rather snobbish.
Don't use a big word where a diminutive one will suffice

I'm not familiar with that rule. There's nothing snobbish about using all the language options one has at one's disposal and if that happens to leave some lexically-challenged folks out of the mix, that's the way it goes.

Effective communication uses language that most effectively allows what is in one's own mind to be understood by others. Choosing the most accurate word is not always to most intelligent use of language if it fails to accomplish that goal. It's just comes across as mental masterbation.

bodhisamaya Wrote:Effective communication uses language that most effectively allows what is in one's own mind to be understood by others. Choosing the most accurate word is not always to most intelligent use of language if it fails to accomplish that goal. It's just comes across as mental masterbation.

1. Your "definition" of "effective communication" is tautological (sorry) and based on the lowest common denominator which is not what everyone aims for.

2. "masterbation" is spelled "masturbation"