Why Do Pigs Have To Fly?

From My Perspective - - -

The mental picture of a Sow or a Hog flying boggles the mind and over-taxes ones imagination. The expression – “when pigs fly” – has been with us for many years. Yahoo Answers includes this possible meaning: “You have to go back a long way to find the original of this idea. It seems to have been a traditional Scottish proverb, which was first written down in 1586 in an edition of John Withal's English-Latin dictionary for children. This had an appendix of proverbs rendered into Latin, of which one was the usual form of the proverb in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries: "pigs fly in the air with their tails forward". If they did indeed fly, the proverb argues, flying backwards would seem a small extra feat.” The answer goes on to say: “Another version is more famous, because it appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: "I've a right to think," said Alice sharply...Just about as much right, said the Duchess, as pigs have to fly."

Wikipedia has a more profound possibility. It allows that “The phrase – when pigs fly – is an adynaton, that is, a figure of speech so hyperbolic (creative exaggeration) that it describes an impossibility. The implication of such a phrase is that the circumstances in question (the adynaton, and the circumstances to which the adynaton are being applied) will never occur.” Another source states: “When pigs fly is an informal way to joke that someone will never do something or something will never happen. Example: "Do you think you will ever work at that company again? Reply: When pigs fly!" Some humorist with an obvious idle moment mused: “…and pigs could fly if they had wings, and pigs may fly, but they are very unlikely birds.” It amounts to: “the odds of something happening are close to zero.”

A story from Sky News in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2010 reported the following: “A toy shop has been branded "ridiculous" by mothers after it removed a pig from a children's farm set – in case it offended Muslim and Jewish parents. The animal was missing from the Early Learning Centre’s (ELC) Happy Land Goose-feather Farm when a mother bought it as a gift for her daughter's first birthday. The set did contain a cow, sheep, chicken, horse and dog, but the pig sty was empty – even though there was a button that made an "oink" noise. When the mother named only as Caroline complained, she was told in an email the pig had been removed in case it upset Muslim or Jewish parents. Eating pork is banned in both religions because pigs are considered unclean.” It would be interesting to know why the “oink” survived the purge of the Happy Land Goose-feather Farm. Wouldn’t a Muslim or Jewish child be religiously offended by the sound of an unclean animal? This is another instance of political correctness run amuck.

The idea of employing political correctness by removing a toy pig from a child’s Learning Activity seems to be preposterous. It’s tantamount to allowing – “if we don’t let you see it, it doesn’t exist.” Touching the toy pig would neither glamorize the pig in Muslim and Jewish Culture, nor would it pervert the psyche of the child. In a Biblical sense, there are some things that one should be sensitive toward lest they prove to be offensive to another, or one who is “weaker” especially in the faith. Romans 14:1-8 sets the parameters and guideline for us. Note – “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls…Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God…” The crux of the matter is given in Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” The issue is not who is right. The issue is to prevent becoming a stumbling block before another. Consider these things with me!