Is it a Christian thing to have trouble understanding certain words?

Question

For example, ‘theory’ is a word often misunderstood. So is the difference between ‘believing’ and ‘knowing.’ Is there such a thing as religiously motivated selective comprehension (RMSC)?

Answer 1

It all makes me think of "Mexican" food. It's not what they eat in Mexico it's really TexMex food.
The definitions are all weird and unrighteous.
They misunderstand faith.
I have faith in my Children which doesn't make them imaginary.
You can't have faith in imaginary things.
I KNOW God because I've experienced God now I have faith in God even though I don't always experience God.
Many Christians have faith in God like children have faith in Santa. They pay it lip service just in case...

Many Christians are right on the mark as well but I fear the former outnumber the later and it's hard to get them to correct their brothers.

In case you don't know I believe in science over religion if there's ever a conflict. Anyone truly spiritual would take the old testament as it was always taken, a great morality play. The modern literalist didn't exist before 1800 and it was rare even through World War Two. It's a new form of obsession that's engineered for a specific result. This is of course a "Theory" and I know what a theory is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uh-1JVctSOY
♥Agape♥
♥Blessed Be♥
♥=∞

Answer 2

The reference to "theory" suggests you're talking about "Evolution is just a 'theory' argument."

I too find this exasperating.

But lest we be too smug, some things to remember:

1. Given the state of science education in the US, many "educated" adults do not grasp the various senses with which "theory" is used. E.g. try explaining that Newton's "Laws" of Motion are regarded as merely approximations that are superseded by Einstein's "Theory" of General Relativity.

2. The Catholic Church and most "mainline" Protestant denominations have accepted Darwin. It is not "Christians" who oppose Evolution, but particular Christians of a Fundamentalist, Pentecostal, Evangelical, or Dispensationalist persuasion. So be careful with stereotyping Christians in general.

As for "belief" and "knowledge", epistemology is even less discussed in most curricula and you'll find this sort of confusion when discussing any topic about which people feel passionate. Again, it's not just the Christians.

that said, I do feel your pain. ;-)

FOR GREG

That argument about the Sun's mass and the energy it produces was rendered moot by the discovery of nuclear fusion and the work of Eddington and Perrins. Try reading books on science by authors who aren't Christian apologists... or at least by apologists who are acquainted with 20th century cosmology.

Answer 3

I would argue that it should be Belief Motivated Selective Comprehension (BMSC). Using your example of "theory" being an often misunderstood word: People who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution speak of it as fact, not as theory.

Christians aren't the only spiritual people (or just people) to confuse "believing" and "knowing," either.

Answer 4

Rai A: "You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think".

I think it goes: You can lead a horticulture but you can't make her think.
It was a play on the word 'horticulture'.

I often get a bit blasé and treat all xians as fundies.
I'll try to be more specific.

Fundies are the ones who believe in a literal bible or as someone above mentioned that 'god writ it in his own hand'.
I jist lerve the way those guys bend fiction within fiction and plat it with bull.

Thanks for the laughs.

Answer 5

Desiree,
Christians know exactly what the word theory means. The problem is that teachers don't and teach theory as fact. I as a Christian "know" exactly how the universe was created because I have a book that was written by the creator himself. Ask a physicist how it is that our sun can produce the energy it produces for so long and it's mass has not changed? And if it's mass has changed, why is the earth still orbiting it? In all our worldly wisdom, we actually know close to nothing and prove it every day.

Answer 6

There's hundreds of different Christian groups and only a minority of them disagree with Darwinian Evolution. So, I guess that's not a "Christian thing" it's a fundamentalist thing. I wonder why so many atheists seem to have a problem differentiating. I guess that's their form of a selective differentiation disorder (SDD). My made up thing is way catchier than yours.

Answer 7

I'd also like to point out that it seems to be a human thing to misunderstand what "hate" means

and yeah, I know more atheists than Christians who do not understand what the word "theory" means

Answer 8

I have a pun I usually refer to when dealing with anyone with a myopic POV.

"You can lead a whore to culture but you can't make her think".

If People are not open to new ideas there is nothing anyone can do to change this. They will cling to ANYTHING that will support/not challange their personal position.

.

Answer 9

Some of them don't understand the word "understand". Understanding requires a thought process that goes beyond "if it's in the bible, it must be fact."

Answer 10

Yeah and it works for both sides of the arguement, Christians and Athiests both, even though you may disagree.