Saturday, March 19, 2005
We Need Some New Words
SmartChristian picks up on a post by Mark Byron on what is and is not "a cult." Needless to say, the conversation centers around the Living Church of God where the shootings happened last weekend. Andy and Mark are having a disagreement over whether the Oneness Pentecostals qualify as a cult.
In the strictest and earliest sense of the word "cult," even the Roman Catholic Church would qualify. At Dictionary.com the second definition of the word is
The definition as an aberrant church is a very modern rendering of the word. It is one that I think we as Christians need to do away with. When it is given this derogatory association, because of its original meaning, it smears all churches.
Byron distinguishes between "cults" that are personality driven and those that simply have bad doctrine. For the second type, there has long been a good word -- "heretic" or "heretical." This word has gone out of favor simply because it strikes people as too judgmental. Of course it is and that's the point. I think we should restore this word to our common lexicon.
The personality driven "cult" that Byron refers to is harder to hang a handle on. The first word that springs to my mind is "idolatrous," but that would not be useful when speaking with non-believers. What do you think would be a good term for this type of "cult?"
In the strictest and earliest sense of the word "cult," even the Roman Catholic Church would qualify. At Dictionary.com the second definition of the word is
A system or community of religious worship and ritual.It is interesting that is the second definition because it is the traditional.
The definition as an aberrant church is a very modern rendering of the word. It is one that I think we as Christians need to do away with. When it is given this derogatory association, because of its original meaning, it smears all churches.
Byron distinguishes between "cults" that are personality driven and those that simply have bad doctrine. For the second type, there has long been a good word -- "heretic" or "heretical." This word has gone out of favor simply because it strikes people as too judgmental. Of course it is and that's the point. I think we should restore this word to our common lexicon.
The personality driven "cult" that Byron refers to is harder to hang a handle on. The first word that springs to my mind is "idolatrous," but that would not be useful when speaking with non-believers. What do you think would be a good term for this type of "cult?"
