23% Of America Is Illiterate & The State Of The Union Is... Dumber

[Yssup Rider]

He's calling ME a stalker? What a homofagnit!

Naw, I just feel compelled to bring your assholier than thou self off the pedestal that you've assumed, ever since you joined this forum to WK for your mama.

[CuteOldGuy]

Assup? Salami? Word is it is more like a cocktail weenie. At least according to Eva.

[Sidewinder]

Originally Posted by timpage

Regarding the "good old days" when Tocquevelle was wandering the continent, I would suspect that today's 4th grade reading level would have been viewed as literate.

You would be very wrong in that suspicion, Timmy.

For much of this country's history, "literate" meant being able to read well enough to read the Bible, which is NOT written at "today's 4th grade reading level", not by a long shot.

Or you could just dig out some of the old elementary school reading textbooks, and see what the children were expected to be able to learn to read.

Also, for much of this country's history, basic literacy, at least for a significant part of the population, included written and spoken Latin. It was not until the Second Vatican Council, which closed in 1965, that the Roman Catholic liturgy switched to the local languages. Prior to that, Mass was conducted in Latin, everywhere on Earth. Roman Catholic seminary is STILL conducted in Latin, because the Church believes that this is the only way to ensure that today's priests learn the same lessons that were taught to priests for most of the last two thousand years.

[I B Hankering]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

You would be very wrong in that suspicion, Timmy.

For much of this country's history, "literate" meant being able to read well enough to read the Bible, which is NOT written at "today's 4th grade reading level", not by a long shot.

Or you could just dig out some of the old elementary school reading textbooks, and see what the children were expected to be able to learn to read.

Also, for much of this country's history, basic literacy, at least for a significant part of the population, included written and spoken Latin. It was not until the Second Vatican Council, which closed in 1965, that the Roman Catholic liturgy switched to the local languages. Prior to that, Mass was conducted in Latin, everywhere on Earth. Roman Catholic seminary is STILL conducted in Latin, because the Church believes that this is the only way to ensure that today's priests learn the same lessons that were taught to priests for most of the last two thousand years.

+1 . . . and the King James version at that!!!!