Author Topic: Words shouldnt have meaning? (Read 661 times)

Matthew · « **on:** March 29, 2011, 03:22:34 PM »

Have you noticed --

Words are only used until they have definite meaning, then they are quickly updated to a new terminology.

Words like "moron" and "idiot" used to be scientific terms to describe a specific IQ range. People started to understand (all too well) what they meant -- they used the terms as insults -- and then WHAM! We need to come up with new "socially acceptable" terms.

Same with "African Americans". They used to be called negroes, colored people, blacks, etc. and NONE of those terms was pejorative.

Isn't it strange that a word having a definite, clear meaning can be a bad thing?

MyrnaM · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2011, 03:59:07 PM »

You mean like "sedevacantist" Oppps, wrong area.

The :devil2: made me post it.

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2011, 04:02:14 PM »

Seriously though, Myrna, that's not a good example at all.

Trying to use some other OTHER than sedevacantist would be ridiculous.

There is no better term than "Sedevacantist" to describe an individual who believes Benedict XVI is not the pope (that the Chair of Peter is vacant)

It's not like I'm advocating we not use that term -- I don't censor the term "Sedevacantist" because it's an accurate term.

"Papally challenged" would just be silly :wink:

TKGS · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2011, 04:19:43 PM »

Matthew is absolutely correct here. "Sedevacantist" is a perfectly good term to use to reference anyone who believes the Chair of Peter is currently vacant. The trouble is when people use the term to refer to a person who believes in some other doctrine because he believes that "sedevacantists" hold those other doctrines. If one uses the term to refer to the one and only meaning, it is a perfectly good term.

Many self-professed Catholics can no longer use the very real terms "heretic", "heresy", "schism", etc. These terms are used quite often of people as a pejorative rather than to refer to people who hold to doctrines that are anathema to the Catholic faith.