Heretic? Options

[Todd Simpson]

Everyone has certainly heard the word "HERETIC". Most folks though don't really know what it means. I thought it was interesting enough to share The actual meaning of the word.

heretic (n.)
mid-14c., from Old French eretique (14c., Modern French hérétique), from Church Latin haereticus, from Greek hairetikos "able to choose," the verbal adjective of hairein (see heresy).

It literally means (from the original Greek) "ABLE TO CHOOSE". The word has slowly been twisted to mean something quite different over the centuries. It has gained a very negative connotation in past few hundred years. Despite this, it's actually something of a compliment. If you call someone a "Heretic" it means you are saying they are someone who is Able To Choose what they think. Instead of someone who is told what to think.

Any words that you've run across that you've found to mean something different than you thought?

Todd

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Sep 19 2013, 05:04 AM

[Headbanger]

Interesting Fred Todd

When I was a kid my mum would tell the doctor I had catarrh in my throat...I often wondered how the hell a guitar got in there and shouldn't they be a bit bigger?

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[Storm Linnebjerg]

I always took it as a "someone who's not doing/choosing to do what others do, but usually in a less good context". Is that completely off? I can't really tell myself

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[bleez]

I always thought it was just used in a religious / churchy type of context. either way, it appears I am one

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[Saoirse O'Shea]

It applies to a lot of words in the English language Todd since English is still a living language; new words are added, old words fall out of common use and some words change their meaning or acquire new ones. Most though don't change their meaning quite so much so as to become almost the polar opposite of the original intent though .

I like the way that people have distorted the meaning of 'quantum leap' to now mean a large distance rather than a nearly infinitesamally small one.

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

This is a very interesting topic. The word that comes to mind is spanish: "Carajo". This word became popular as an insult, and has been also used as the name of a Punk Metal band here. But this is what it really means:



You can imagine that when someboddy send you to the "carajo" wasn't a cool thing for you. That's why, with the pass of time, when somebody says "go to the "carajo" became an insult.

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[Himansu C Kerkar]

reminds me of a 1995 game Called Heretic, very similar to Doom and extremely fun to play

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[Todd Simpson]

Certainly That's sorta what I"m sharing here. Without getting too verbose, the "connotative" and "denotative" meanings of words are in perpetual drift/flux in a living language. Over time, Connotative meanings in particular can drift wildly based on cultural context. Such is the case with this word in particular which has been co-opted, essentially, by the minions of orthodoxy (orthodoxy itself is another fine example actually).

It applies to a lot of words in the English language Todd since English is still a living language; new words are added, old words fall out of common use and some words change their meaning or acquire new ones. Most though don't change their meaning quite so much so as to become almost the polar opposite of the original intent though .

I like the way that people have distorted the meaning of 'quantum leap' to now mean a large distance rather than a nearly infinitesamally small one.

I loved that game I recently played through it again which is actually what got me thinking about the word heretic again

reminds me of a 1995 game Called Heretic, very similar to Doom and extremely fun to play

Good one!!!! So it means, "get lost" or something similar?

This is a very interesting topic. The word that comes to mind is spanish: "Carajo". This word became popular as an insult, and has been also used as the name of a Punk Metal band here. But this is what it really means:



You can imagine that when someboddy send you to the "carajo" wasn't a cool thing for you. That's why, with the pass of time, when somebody says "go to the "carajo" became an insult.

It's taken on the "not good" meaning over time. But it's actually a very positive thing IMHO Being able to think and choose for yourself is empowering. Embrace your inner Heretic

I always took it as a "someone who's not doing/choosing to do what others do, but usually in a less good context". Is that completely off? I can't really tell myself

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[verciazghra]

Everyone has certainly heard the word "HERETIC". Most folks though don't really know what it means. I thought it was interesting enough to share The actual meaning of the word.

heretic (n.)
mid-14c., from Old French eretique (14c., Modern French hérétique), from Church Latin haereticus, from Greek hairetikos "able to choose," the verbal adjective of hairein (see heresy).

It literally means (from the original Greek) "ABLE TO CHOOSE". The word has slowly been twisted to mean something quite different over the centuries. It has gained a very negative connotation in past few hundred years. Despite this, it's actually something of a compliment. If you call someone a "Heretic" it means you are saying they are someone who is Able To Choose what they think. Instead of someone who is told what to think.

Any words that you've run across that you've found to mean something different than you thought?

Todd

We have a word which has had a similar development in Swedish. The word "hemsk"; which literally translates to "horrible/horrific"; has undergone some changes. It used to mean a person which spent most of it's time at home, usually referring to women working at home before it became common for them to get education and normal jobs. It then slowly morphed to from meaning a "homely" person to something "horrible". Quite the leap ey?

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[Todd Simpson]

That is quite a leap!!! Very interesting also

We have a word which has had a similar development in Swedish. The word "hemsk"; which literally translates to "horrible/horrific"; has undergone some changes. It used to mean a person which spent most of it's time at home, usually referring to women working at home before it became common for them to get education and normal jobs. It then slowly morphed to from meaning a "homely" person to something "horrible". Quite the leap ey?

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[Sensible Jones]

The word 'Jihad'.
Extremists are using it to mean Holy War waged against all non-Muslims/Infidels.
The original meaning is 'Struggle' or 'Strive' and was used more to intimate ones struggle to stay true to the Islamic Faith.

The views of many different groups are surprisingly similar......
Ahmadiyya
In Ahmadiyya Islam, jihad is primarily one's personal inner struggle and should not be used violently for political motives. Violence is the last option only to be used to protect religion and one's own life in extreme situations of persecution.
Quranist
Quranists do not believe that the word jihad means holy war. They believe it means to struggle, or to strive. They believe it can incorporate both military and non-military aspects. When it refers to the military aspect, it is understood primarily as defensive warfare.
Sunni
Jihad has been classified either as al-jihād al-akbar (the greater jihad), the struggle against one's ego or self (nafs), or al-jihād al-asghar (the lesser jihad), the external, physical effort, often implying fighting (this is similar to the shiite view of jihad as well).

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[jstcrsn]

I had to ,
it seems so many people in the U.S. believe themselves to be a christian, so you ask them what that means and they all have a different answer
so I guess If your a "Christian" in the states , you may believe in whatever you want

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[Todd Simpson]

Great post! Believe it or not, I almost picked JIHAD as the word to use initially for this post. HERETIC seemed a tad more westernized so I went that way This is a great point about the Jihad concept and how it's been twisted. The "Greater Jihad" is well understood to mean the struggle against one's own vanity and sinful nature across the Islamic world. This is a very important point to consider, especially from the western view.

We ourselves fight the "Greater Jihad" every day. We just call it something different Christians often refer to it as their "Walk with the Lord/Walk with Christ/Walk of Faith". Implying a long Journey. The core concept is very similar of one trying to remain faithful to what a person feels is "right". This applies beyond dogma/religion of course as we all struggle each day against our lesser demons so to speak, no matter what they might be. For example.

1.)Sloth - The desire to play Xbox instead of practice DOUBLE PICKING.
2.)Vanity - The desire to be "famous" for fames sake.
3.)Greed - The desire to have perpetually "more".

Just a few of what Catholics call the "7 Deadly Sins" but which really are just examples of being human and trying to be a decent person despite our instincts/urges/inner demons etc.

Todd

The word 'Jihad'.
Extremists are using it to mean Holy War waged against all non-Muslims/Infidels.
The original meaning is 'Struggle' or 'Strive' and was used more to intimate ones struggle to stay true to the Islamic Faith.

The views of many different groups are surprisingly similar......
Ahmadiyya
In Ahmadiyya Islam, jihad is primarily one's personal inner struggle and should not be used violently for political motives. Violence is the last option only to be used to protect religion and one's own life in extreme situations of persecution.
Quranist
Quranists do not believe that the word jihad means holy war. They believe it means to struggle, or to strive. They believe it can incorporate both military and non-military aspects. When it refers to the military aspect, it is understood primarily as defensive warfare.
Sunni
Jihad has been classified either as al-jihād al-akbar (the greater jihad), the struggle against one's ego or self (nafs), or al-jihād al-asghar (the lesser jihad), the external, physical effort, often implying fighting (this is similar to the shiite view of jihad as well).

Well, from the "Gnostic" Point of view, that's the definition of faith In short "Believing whatever you want to". I spent time in the "Fundie" section of thought believe it or not, and found it a bit like trying to breath underwater. The more I began to study and learn, the more pointless dogma and orthodoxy became for me. While I can respect even the most puritanical/orthodox view from the perspective that folks have a right to believe whatever they want, I don't buy in to it (fundamentalism/orthodoxy/dogma) personally. Then again, the group I most associate with, in terms of viewpoint (various Gnostic sects) were mostly all burned at the stake for being Heretics So I usually rub fundamentalists the wroooooonnnggg way.

I had to ,
it seems so many people in the U.S. believe themselves to be a christian, so you ask them what that means and they all have a different answer
so I guess If your a "Christian" in the states , you may believe in whatever you want

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