Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 966, Converting to Another Religion.
This is English as a Second Language podcast episode 966.
I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
Our website is eslpod.com.
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On this episode we're going to listen to a dialogue that includes a lot of vocabulary about religion.
Let's get started.
Okay, I'm off.
I'll be back around 8 o'clock.
Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?
I'm going to my religious education class.
Religious education class?
What's that about?
Well, I've decided to convert to McQuillanism.
I'm not familiar with that denomination.
It is Christian, isn't it?
No, it isn't, but there are some similarities in the spiritual teachings between McQuillanism and Christianity.
But we have different ways of worshipping, different prayers, hymns, and rituals.
It doesn't sound legit.
Are you sure McQuillanism isn't really a cult?
Of course not.
My spiritual leader has been tutoring me on the tenets of the faith, so I understand it, but I can see why you'd question it, since you don't know anything about it.
Well, as long as you're satisfied.
I am, and I can't wait to become a full-fledged McQuillanite.
McQuillanism is a little unconventional, but we take our faith very seriously.
Have it your way.
What's that you're carrying?
It's a cat costume.
As I said, we do things a little differently.
I'm sorry I asked.
Debbie begins our dialogue by saying to Marcelo, OK, I'm off.
The expression I'm off means I am leaving.
I am leaving right now.
She says I'll be back around eight o'clock, meaning I will return home or return back here at approximately eight o'clock.
Marcelo says, hey, where are you going in such a hurry?
Debbie says, I'm going to my religious education class.
Religious is the adjective that comes from the noun religion.
Education is, of course, getting more knowledge about something.
So a religious education class would be a class that teaches you more about a certain religion, what their beliefs are, their practices and so forth.
Religious education classes are quite popular in the United States, especially for children, when the children don't study in a religious school.
If your children go to a public school or a school that doesn't have religion classes, You may send your child if you are a member of a certain religion, of course to a religious education class.
These classes sometimes meet on a weekday, that is, Monday through Friday, and sometimes they meet on Sunday mornings.
There are all sorts of religious education classes for children, But adults can also go to religious education classes, and that's what Debbie is doing in our dialogue.
Marcello is confused.
He says, religious education class?
What's that about?
What is the topic of this class?
Debbie says, Well, I've decided to convert to McQuillanism.
To convert C-O-N-V-E-R-T means, in this case, to change your religion, to leave one religion in order to join another religion.
Our dialogue here is not, of course, about a real religion.
It's about a made-up religion called McQuillanism.
Marcello says, I'm not familiar with that denomination.
A denomination...
D-E-N-O-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N is one group or a subgroup, I guess we could call it, of a certain religion.
Christianity, for example, is a religion.
But there are a lot of different groups within Christianity, a lot of different denominations, such as Baptists and Presbyterians and Lutherans.
There are literally hundreds of denominations in the Christian religion, different groups, each of which typically believes in something a little bit different or practices their religion a little bit differently, even though all of them could be called Christian.
Marcello wants to know if this denomination that Debbie is converting to is Christian.
Christian means you probably know, relates to one's belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
The Christian religion was started by Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago.
Debbie says no, it isn't meaning it is not a Christian denomination.
But there are some similarities in the spiritual teachings between McQuillanism and Christianity.
But we have different ways of worshiping, different prayers, hymns and rituals.
The term Spiritual teachings would refer to the philosophies or belief systems that a certain religion or group has.
McQuillanism is not the same as Christianity, according to Debbie.
They have different ways of worshiping.
To worship W-O-R-S-H-I-P in this sentence means the practices that a certain religious group carries out or does in praising their God or in honoring their God.
Normally, when we talk about worship, We talk about the way that someone prays or the way that someone acts in a religious service or a religious celebration.
That's not a theological definition of worship.
It's not a technical definition, but it's a general definition that fits the circumstances of this particular dialogue.
In a religious service or celebration, there might be different elements that you use as part of the service.
There could be prayers.
There could be hymns.
There could be other rituals.
Prayers are basically conversations that one has with God or with some spiritual being that are meant to help you or to perhaps thank God for things that have been done for you.
Hymns, H-Y-M-N-S, are basically religious songs.
Rituals, R-I-T-U-A-L-S, are the words and actions used in certain religious ceremonies.
Marcello says it doesn't sound legit.
Legit, L-E-G-I-T, is short for legitimate, meaning legit.
This religion doesn't sound real.
It doesn't sound as if it actually exists.
Marcellus says, are you sure McQuillanism isn't really a cult?
A cult.
C-U-L-T is a negative word used to describe a religious group that has what people consider extreme or unusual beliefs and behaviors.
A cult is often led by someone with a very strong personality.
The United States has all sorts of cults, especially in its recent history.
Debbie says, however, that McQuillanism is not a cult.
She says...
My spiritual leader has been tutoring me on the tenets of the faith so I can understand it.
A spiritual leader would be a leader of a religious group or someone who has a lot of knowledge about a certain religion and helps others with their religious practice.
Tenets, T-E-N-E-T-S, here means laws or principles or fundamental beliefs.
Faith, F-A-I-T-H, in this context means a set of religious beliefs, the things that you believe in a certain religion.
Debbie says...
You don't know anything about it, Debbie says.
Marcelo says, well...
As long as you're satisfied, meaning as long as you think it's a real religion.
Debbie says, I am, meaning I am satisfied.
She says, I can't wait to become a full-fledged McQuillanite.
Full, F-U-L-L hyphen fledged, F-L-E-D-G-E-D, means complete or whole.
In this case, it means someone who is fully a member of this particular religion.
Many religions have certain phases or steps that you have to go through before you can become a member of that religion.
And perhaps that's what Debbie is referring to here.
She says, Something that is conventional is usual, normal, traditional.
Unconventional is the opposite.
Something that is not usual.
Something that is not normal.
Not expected.
Marcello says, have it your way.
Have it your way is an expression that means that...
You aren't going to interfere with another person, that he can do whatever he wants.
Marcello asks Debbie at the end of the dialogue, What's that you're carrying?
Meaning, what are you carrying in your arms or in your hands?
Debbie says, it's a cat costume.
A costume.
C-O-S-T-U-M-E is a special set of clothing that you wear sometimes to make yourself look like someone else or something different.
Debbie has a cat costume.
She says we do things a little differently, meaning McQuillanism is a very different kind of religion that apparently involves wearing cat costumes.
This is a good indication that this dialogue is all a joke, because if there were something called McQuillanism, it certainly would not have any cats in it.
Marcello ends our dialogue by saying, That expression is actually meant to be funny.
When someone tells you something that is strange or unusual, or perhaps something you don't really want to know, You can say I'm sorry, I asked, meaning I wish I had not asked you and found out what it is that you just told me.
Now let's listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
Okay, I'm off.
I'll be back around 8 o'clock.
Hey, where are you going in such a hurry?
I'm going to my religious education class.
Religious education class?
What's that about?
Well, I've decided to convert to McQuillanism.
I'm not familiar with that denomination.
It is Christian, isn't it?
No, it isn't, but there are some similarities in the spiritual teachings between McQuillanism and Christianity, but we have different ways of worshipping, different prayers, hymns, and rituals.
It doesn't sound legit.
Are you sure McQuillanism isn't really a cult?
Of course not.
My spiritual leader has been tutoring me on the tenets of the faith, so I understand it.
But I can see why you'd question it, since you don't know anything about it.
Well, as long as you're satisfied.
I am, and I can't wait to become a full-fledged McQuillanite.
McQuillanism is a little unconventional, but we take our faith very seriously.
Have it your way.
What's that you're carrying?
It's a cat costume.
As I said, we do things a little differently.
I'm sorry I asked.
She's a full-fledged member of ESL Podcast.
I refer to our wonderful scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Say.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan.
Thank you for listening.
Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
