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Definitions/Descriptions
"There is no such way to gain admittance, or give
defense to strange and absurd doctrines, as to guard them round about
with legions of obscure, doubtful, and undefined words; which yet make
these retreats more like the dens of robbers, or holes of foxes, than
fortresses of fair warriors." John Locke
BELIEVE verb: To choose to incorporate a certain conception from an
issue, which is not knowable, into your belief system because you like
or love the concept, from be meaning be and liev meaning like or love.
Secondarily this word means to retain the chosen concept in one's belief
system, but just holding onto a concept that one did not consciously
choose is not believing. Specifically, in a moral and religious
reference, (believe) is used in the N.T. of the conviction and trust to
which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and
law of his soul (Thayer's GREEK-ENGLISH LEXICON of the New Testament,
4th edition). See belief system, knowledge, choice, conception,
idealism, religion.
BELIEF n: a conviction or mental acceptance by or through choice of
something or certain things as true and real. Distinguished from
knowledge in that belief is not fully based on experience, empirical
evidence or logic dissociated from reason.
BELIEF SYSTEM n: that intellectual structure of learned knowledge,
indoctrinated concepts and chosen beliefs that determines our will,
conscience and ultimate behavior. See choice, conscience, decision,
will, religion.
CONCEPTION n: The act or ability of becoming pregnant with ideas, of
forming or developing ideas in the consciousness by intellect or
insight; to think, imagine, understand or comprehend. See mind,
intelligence, intellect, heart.
CONFUSION n: literally "with melting", a state where reality is blurred
so as to not be distinguishable. See superstition, mysticism.
CREDO n: same as creed. Latin for I believe.
CREED n: a brief and specific statement of beliefs, generally held to be
authoritative by some formal organization.
DOCTRINE n: a theory presented to be carefully considered, a teaching or
the set of teachings of a belief system that is advocated by being
carefully worked out from bases and principles considered to be true.
See belief, dogma, precept, tenet.
DOGMA N: a decreed belief or set of beliefs that is formally and
authoritatively affirmed, and is considered to be unassailable or
indisputable.
ETHICS n: the study of moral philosophy, standards of conduct and moral
judgment; and/or any resultant system or code of morals of a person or
group.
FAITH n: the personal commitment of volition to choose, in the realm of
belief, the best or personally most positive aspect of issues rather
than the negative. To first trust God that he has given you an innate
ability, and ultimately, to trust that ability to understand and
appreciate him, and trust that he will actively lead you in that
understanding and appreciation. See believe.
HYPOCRISY n: this is a compound word from Greek 'Hypo', meaning lacking
in, and Greek 'Krisis', meaning distinction, discrimination, judgment,
decision, critical thinking, and literally means behavior, thinking, or
especially belief lacking in critical judgment.
IDEALISM n: that inner spiritual sense or conception from the heart or
internal reference point which knows of how things should be or as one
would want them to be. See believe, heart.
INFORMATION n: facts or data that are incorporated into a person's mind
that become useful or significant; different from knowledge or truth.
See knowledge, logical.
INSTRUCTION n: something presented to be learned, and can be a teaching,
lesson, precept or direction; but not an order to be obeyed. See
commandment, direction.
KNOWLEDGE n: learned structures of information or logical conclusions
that take on meaning for a person; not the same as belief. See
information, logical, truth.
MEANING n: that which succors and feeds the soul, and satisfies its
needs and desires. See spirit.
PARADIGM n: from the Greek word paradeigma, which means model or
pattern; it is the undergirding conceptual framework of our conceived
reality that describes boundaries, affects our perceptions and
determines what conclusions we make out of information and what truths
we come to from our conclusions.
PERCEPTION n: the act or ability of taking hold, or grasping mentally;
recognizing, observing or becoming aware through the five senses or
intuition. See mind, consciousness, intelligence, sentience.
PHILOSOPHY n: from the Greek, 'friendly to wisdom', the
systematic study and collection of wisdom and the pursuit of truth
incorporating both science and theology. See religion, science,
theology.
PRECEPT n: a direction intended to be a rule of action or conduct.
RELIGION n: this word comes from Re, meaning again, and from Greek roots
meaning to collect or bind with reason, giving 'bind together with
logic'. It has come to mean the personal formal belief system and
practices pertaining to all spiritual and experiential realities, one's
overall logical and reasonable conception of all reality. A religion
that does not bind God and man together with logic is a false religion.
See logical, philosophy, science, theology.
SCIENCE n: the systematic study and verification of experiential
information and possession of knowledge of the facts and consistent
logical extensions or conclusions about an object, the material universe
or its aspects and systems. Science deals in the realm of the tangible,
physical, knowable or observable, and pertains to knowledge of how and
what things happen, but is excluded from why in terms of ultimate
purpose. See philosophy, religion, theology.
SPIRIT n: an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical
organisms, a temper or disposition of mind, the activating or essential
principle influencing a person, a special attitude or frame of mind, a
mental disposition characterized by firmness or assertiveness, the
general intent or real meaning of a communication. Specifically in
ontology, the source of human volition and will.
SPIRITUAL adj: pertaining to the realm of theological ideas and beliefs,
relating to intellectual, philosophical and religious matters rather
than material matters.
SUPERSTITION n: an idea or belief that is unscientific or unreasonable
and that sets up a climate or context of fear. See fear.
TENET n: a principle or belief that is maintained or defended rather
than be presented as doctrinal teaching or theory.
THEOLOGY n: the systematic study of and reasonable interpretation of
conceptual information, and possession of spiritual knowledge and
consistent logical extensions or conclusions about a subject, the
Creator. Theology deals with the intangible or initially unknowable,
spiritual truths which one must choose to believe, and pertains to why
as well as how the Creator relates to the universe and humanity. See
philosophy, religion, science.
TRUTH n: the valid, correct and beautiful conception or construct of
knowledge and belief as it relates to literal reality and ultimately to
God; not the same as knowledge or belief. See knowledge, believe,
choice, wisdom.
WISDOM n: a combination of factual knowledge, true belief, humane
values, proper purpose, valid experience and understanding of God. See
believe, knowledge, purpose, understand. |