APAD: Born again

7
7grizzly
楼主 (文学城)

Meaning:

   Christians who affirm their renewed and strengthened commitment to their

   religion are called `born again'. To be born again is to be `born of the

   spirit'; the first birth being the physical birth of the flesh.

 

Background:

   From the Bible, John 3.3 (King James Version):

 

     Jesus answered and said ... Except a man be born again, he cannot see the

     kingdom of God.

 

   The term began to be used in the 1960s to give a specific name to those who

   renewed their faith. The earliest printed reference I can find to `born

   again' in this sense is from the Reno Evening Gazette, October 1914:

 

     "It [Christian Science] gives man the opportunity of being born again."

 

   The first that specifically mentions `born again Christians' is the Decatur

   Evening Herald (Illinois), December 1928:

 

     "I knew I had the new desires that a born-again Christian acquires."

 

   By the 1980s the term was well enough established in the language for it to

   begin appearing in modified forms in jokes (always a good measure of

   linguistic acceptance). In 1981, at the start of the Wimbledon Tennis

   Tournament, and after Bjorn Borg had won five consecutive titles there, The

   Times published an article assessing his chances with the headline `Bjorn

   Again?'. Since then an Abba tribute band has also adopted `Bjorn Again' as

   their name.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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Wow. Bjorn again. Got to love etymology!

 

Christians do not have monopoly on being reborn and, for some, reinventing self

throughout life is a necessity. They start with a model, they strive, achieve,

doubt, languish, discover new strength, and grow out of their suffering, like a

snake sloughing off its old skin.

最西边的岛上
Oh yes, felt born again now after train, airport security &
最西边的岛上
inside small metal bird & bus. Ahh ;-) Thx so much 7G !!
7
7grizzly
Thank you. Enjoy :-)
最西边的岛上
Being a pantheist, don’t feel born again, but do feel sth
最西边的岛上
move me in churches. Might b the high ceiling;-))
7
7grizzly
Hope it doesn't happen often. It'd be hard for family :-)
妖妖灵
浴火重生,凤凰涅槃
7
7grizzly
An Egyptian idea. The Chinese 凤凰's trapped in nirvana:-)
暖冬cool夏
like a snake sloughing off its old skin.+100
暖冬cool夏
To be born again might be technically possible with 医学发展。LOL
最西边的岛上
So 1 can “live” 4ever or 2 change 2 anyone as 1 like online
最西边的岛上
faster & better than 川剧变脸 ;-))
移花接木
Ennn, reincarnation is flesh keeps born again&again with
移花接木
different spirit each time
最西边的岛上
I could b wrong, but thout it’s old soul in new body?
最西边的岛上
while “born again” is new spirit in existing body?
7
7grizzly
Wished to say sth. less wicked than a snake :-)
7
7grizzly
Everything's ready but the soul's still at large:-)
7
7grizzly
Both can work :-)
最西边的岛上
Yes Sir (my head isn’t working right now, better b quiet ;-)
最西边的岛上
嗯,souls prefer 2 b free & Remain at large 4ever ;-)
移花接木
A reincarnated pig with prince's soul from previous life
最西边的岛上
Hello Wilbur ;-)))