Born to Die, part seventeen

Communication. It’s an integral facet of the human experience. That which is to be communicated is transmitted by one means or another and that transmission is received. Communication theory contends that error or distortion can occur in content, transmission, or reception, and that there is probably some element at work in all three. Human communication is invariably subject to interpretation, a process which again affects content, transmission, and reception, and which is arguably the most accountable for introducing error and distortion. The hermeneutic of literal fundamentalism is paradoxically an interpretation which posits scripture to be free of interpretation. It could be argued ad infinitum that human thought free of interpretation is impossible, but suffice it here to say that anyone who contends that it is possible will be extremely hard-pressed to provide objective evidence. To apply this rationale to the subject at hand, all that can be asserted for certain is that human beings die (cease to exhibit vital signs). From that point on, any speculation concerning value or formula must be recognized for what it is: interpretation. This, of course, includes scripture. So, to conclude that interpretation is subject to more interpretation pretty well describes the human experience, and provides a very basic introduction to the origin of tradition.