Without looking up wikipedia, or any other freakin dictionary site, or browser, i would like a perfect definition of a what a heathen is, its latin predecessor, and what its origin is from. In the meantime, i will be searching through wikipedia and other sources to find out if you copied and pasted, therefore being thumbs downs.
2007-12-11 02:46:55 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
LOL.wow,you are on a caffeine buzz there aren't ya?Why not go the whole hog and stand them in a line with a big stick at the ready...................
2007-12-11 02:57:22 · answer #1 · answered by Cotton Wool Ninja 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A heathen can be one that does not follow an established religion, similar to a pagan. Some heathens follow Norse religion and today the word is associated with Astrau or Odinism. However one can be heathen and not follow these religions as heathenry can cover many religions. Originally, like pagan, it was used to refer to those without religion or not following a proper or established religion by Christians. So it was an insult, some today still see it as such. However heathen does refer to those with religious belief or spirituality whereas pagan is more broad and can include those that are irreligious as it basically means one that does not follow a main religion or religion at all.
2007-12-11 10:55:09 · answer #2 · answered by A-chan 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
WOW UNBELIEVABLE !!!! I can't believe the answers that have been given. Heathen means somebody 'of the heath'. The word Pagan comes from the Roman word paganii which means 'country dweller'. But that is Latin, Anglo Saxons didn't want Latin terminology to describe who they were. The land was covered with a thick, grass called heather. The word, Heathen was incorporated to give distinction to the Pagan people of Northern Europe. Today it is used by the Teutonic religion of Asatru to differentiate them from Pagan.
2007-12-11 11:05:42 · answer #3 · answered by ruriksson 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A heathen would be a person who has never been introduced to the concept of religion. Perhaps the notion of God has occured to them at some point but they haven't been indoctrinated into any particular faith system...they would be the type of person who would fer instance...post the term WTF in a religion/spirituality forum because they are ignorant of just how ignorant they are about faith and the concepts that apply. I'm uncertain of the entymology of the term heathen except that its prolly old english and was used to pertain to persons not understanding the decorum or reverence realized or attributed to persons, places or things of a religous nature. For instance..if you were to burst into a place of worship during worship service, be it a church, a hindu shrine or temple, a mosque, a synagogue or whatever and began, even good naturedly, yelling obscenities...such as..."Hey, WTF's goin' on up in here...why ya'll kneelin and she-ite? Who's the dude in the robe? Anybuddy here point me to the crapper? I need to pinch a loaf sumpin' fierce." That sort of thing...in this event...you would be a heathen by means of your behaviour. Kapeche? I do believe this fine illistration is unique and not likely to be found anywhere else on the net...though you are welcome to occupy yourself looking. Love in Christ, ~J~
2007-12-11 11:15:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A heathen is someone that doesn`t believe in one of the three Abrahamic religions..like Jewish, Muslims or Christians. They do believe in some religion, Pagan. If they have no belief they are Atheists not heathen.
2007-12-11 10:52:57 · answer #5 · answered by PROBLEM 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
I have always understood a heathen to be anyone that does not believe in the Judeo-Christian God. The Bible tells us not to do as the heathens do, and the heathens were praying to a different god.
2007-12-11 10:56:23 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
So you've been up all night trying to find some way to yank someone peoples chains on the internet...very cool of you...I could say you're the perfect definition but that woulldn't be entirely correct...
A heathen is a word used by people of some religions sects to describe someone whose actions and words display a lack of faith in a divine entity or the idea of divine creation...i.e. atheist or agnostic...
I'm not a latin expert so I'm not even going to try that part...
After you're done ranting about the name someone used to describe you on the internet perhaps you can take some time and enlighten the rest of us with your obviously superior intellect...or dazzle us crude followers of an invisible god with your amazing insight to the universe and origins of humans...
2007-12-11 10:54:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
A person who does not believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The word has Germanic roots, but I don't carry that kind of knowledge around in my head, so you'll have to settle for what I just wrote.
2007-12-11 10:55:29 · answer #8 · answered by Suzanne: YPA 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Heathen is basically someone deemed barbaric because of his primitive beliefs. This view isn't always consistent with reality, but throughout the Middle Ages when it was used, there was a correlation with backward cultures having backward religious beliefs.
2007-12-11 10:52:33 · answer #9 · answered by Бэлзeбот 2 · 7⤊ 0⤋
someone who lives on a heath or moor or wayout in a wilderness
a polytheist
A person who rejects objective morality
A person who lives rurally and practices traditional rural"customs of numinosity"("superstitions" or animist practices)
A animist
a polytheist who does not practice"an advanced philosophical religion such as Buddhism or Hinduism"
someone who scoffs at monotheism and traditional "Judeo-Christian "sexual and life ethics
Latin paganus was a non-urban or rural person with connotations of being a uneducated "hick"
Heathen was a similar person in Anglo-saxon or some other Germanic languages
2007-12-11 11:01:42 · answer #10 · answered by James O 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋