Not only is there a distinct lexicon in the OALC regarding religious matters, but a style of delivery that could be described as modest, meek, humble or depressed (you choose).
OALCESE
wordlies (anyone not in the OALC)
unbelief (whatever worldlies believe)
dead faith (ditto)
lost sheep (ex-OALC)
heresy (same as above)
fornicators
whisky merchants
whores
bastards (the kind of children the above beget)
arms of Satan (what all the above are in)
fires of hell (what all the above will get)
church of the first-born (OALC)
one, true and living Christianity (ditto)
toots (slang for OALC members)
speece (greeting between toots)
precious (how to describe another toot)
poor example (how to describe oneself)
right understanding (available only in the OALC)
I haven't been in the OALC in 20 years and this list STILL can take me right back there again! LOL! Love your site! Thanks for having the courage to do it!
ReplyDeleteThis is so well put. It DOES take one right back there. It is such freedom to know God and not have to follow man's traditions! Whoever is doing this site I must say is very clever and articulate.
ReplyDeleteHow do us non-believers in the church help those in need in our area? Any ideas will help.
ReplyDeleteSmall Town: your happiness & compassion, shining out of your words & deeds, will be the sunshine needed by those in the OALC. That's my 2 cents. Be a good friend, have coffee or tea, even (if you're brave enough to be anesthetized for several hours) go to the OALC one Sunday and share your impressions afterward. Or mention that you saw a website by an ex-OALCer :-) But I wouldn't spend any breath debating Scripture. The OALC weakest magnet is its doctrine. It keeps folks in with social bonds and fear.
ReplyDeleteThis is priceless! Anyone who was ever in the Laestadian church can identify exactly with these terms. By putting them on paper(or internet)one can see the ridiculousness of it all.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. I am an ex-toot. I still like spread god's peace to those around me. Most of toots do not even know what they are saying. My wife says it sounds like they are saying podsgeese.
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds like Gus pees.
ReplyDeleteOk, now I am laughing. I took my husband, a 'wordly', to my grandmother's funeral, and he was simply and wholly Godsmacked by the entire experience.He had never seen a funeral attended by so many people. He was appalled by what he describes as a lack of respect for the dead. He said he will NEVER attend services at oalc.
ReplyDeleteHe still, ten years later, says speeeece when giving me a bad time about the church. I have repeatedly explained the greeting to him. Even though he does rib me a bit about my up-bringing, he has a new understanding about why I am the way I am. He is respectful to my family and he has never confronted them about their beliefs. I am so lucky to have a mate who is so free thinking. If I had married within the church, I would not be able to enjoy the freedoms I have today.
This is hilarious! But you never explain anywhere (that I have seen so far) what "toots" means; it came back to me the day after I first found your site. It is an abbreviation of "Cristituts" (however that's spelled; Finn for Christians, I guess).
ReplyDeleteRe "God's Peace": My kids and I were visiting family in the UP and the neighbors ("Christians") showed up when I was off getting gas. They made the "gs-peece" rounds, and my son said, "What?" and they repeated it. He still couldn't understand and said, "Kapeesh?" My sister said, "Oh, those are V's kids from California." That's all the explanation required - my kids weren't expected to know "gs-peece." V
Let us all start saying
ReplyDeleteGod's Peace to everyone we see!
What a beautiful saying-it should be for all.
I just want to let you know that the OALC and the Laestadian Lutheran Church are not the same church.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, the "toots." I had never heard that one and wondered where your blog name came from, good to know :)
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