Name of God

[Wilson Gray]

An oddity, FWIW: The Hebrew  _HWHY_, in large brass letters that
"shine like Klondike gold," to quote a blues line, are over the
entrance to the Catholic Old Saint Louis Cathedral in Saint Louis -
not to be confused with the Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. I
have never in my life heard even the slightest breath of rumor as to
why this should be the case.

-Wilson

On 9/13/07, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Name of God
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 9/13/2007 07:55 PM, Gerald Cohen wrote:
> >The explanation I was once given is that it's inappropriate to spell
> >out the entire word, since the piece of paper it's written on might
> >later be thrown away or otherwise destroyed. And that would be disrespectful.
> >
> >Gerald Cohen
>
> _The Jewish Book of Why_ says it comes from the 3rd commandment, and
> then asks "But what is God's name?"  Yehova is never to be pronounced
> (except by the High Priest when officiating at Yom Kippur) or written
> out.  Adonai is only to be spoken in prayer.
>
> >________________________________
> >
> >From: American Dialect Society on behalf of Charles Doyle
> >Sent: Thu 9/13/2007 7:03 AM
> >To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >Subject: Re: X marrying Y <> Y marrying X?
> >
> ><snip>
> >
> >I still have an occasional Jewish student who will write the word
> >"God" as "G-d."  As if "God" is really the unutterable and
> >unwritabale NAME, when H- said H-s name is "- -m" . . .
> >
> >--Charlie
>
>   _Why_ continues:
>
> "In the last few decades [published 1981], a new practice has come
> into vogue: that of not writing out in full the _English_ names "God"
> or "Lord".  Most authorities consider this to be without foundation
> and no more than a passing fad."
>
> Joel
>
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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