We need to clarify our definition of terms. We have a tendency to think that if we are
speaking the same language then we understand each other, or that we ought to
understand each other. However, you may
have noticed some occasions when someone used a word in a context that
demonstrated they were not defining the word the same as you would. This has been the cause of many misunderstandings.
Sometimes misunderstandings are deliberate. The key to great humor is to take that which
is intended literal and make it figurative or vice versus to take that which is
intended figurative and make it literal.
Likewise
the key to wearing down your opponent in an argument is the same. If they intended some precept in a figurative
sense, you take it in the literal. If
they are speaking in a literal context, you pretend as if they are speaking
figuratively.
If you have spent any amount of time with an obtuse
individual then you naturally know what I am talking about. And if you know what I am talking about, then
you just might be that obtuse individual who has the ability to do this
naturally.
In the case of a religious discussion, I am going to assume
that we are not speaking the same language…at all. Not even close to the same language. If you say a word like “Gospel” or “Redemption”
or “Heaven”, you are probably going to find me thinking of a different concept
than the one you intended. If I say a
phrase like “Doctrine of Christ” or “Fulness of the Priesthood” or “Day of
Grace”, you will probably assume you know exactly what I mean by that. Imagine the surprise and potential for
miscommunication when later on we discover that neither of us was talking about
the same thing at all.
Ironically, it isn’t necessary to speak the same native
language to have clear communication. I
have spent a great deal of my working life in team environments with those I
did not share a common language. They
were not fluent in my native tongue and I was not fluent in theirs. Many times
I was surprised to find it was easier to work in that team environment because
we were more patient with each other. We
never made assumptions about what the other person’s understanding might
be. We always approached each other as
if they did not understand! This meant
that we worked together until everything was clarified and confirmed that a
real understanding had occurred. We were
quick to forgive the mistakes because there were no unrealistic expectations.
We made no assumptions about the other's understanding. It was expected that there would be misunderstandings, so we were neither
startled nor upset when differences arose.
On the other hand, I also have endured many failed relationships
which have proven that speaking a common language does not guarantee successful
communication. Likewise a shared culture and even a shared religion is no
guarantee of a shared understanding.
In this blog we are talking about religion. In all reality, it does not matter how I define the terms. And it does not matter how you define the terms. What matters is how God defines the terms.
(Ah-Ha !! See there is another term that is completely open
for misunderstanding. How do we define
the term “God”? Do you think it is the
same, just because we share a common language or even a common religion? )
It doesn’t matter what we think the definitions are. What really matters is how God defines the
terms. The challenge is to figure out
what terminology God is really using. When
we are speaking together, you and I, we must figure out which definition God
is really using. We must at least agree
that we share the desire to discover how God really defines the terms. As we go through this process of learning, we
are going to need to be incredibly patient with each other and quick to
forgive. It will require willingness for
us to admit we may have been wrong all along.
If we come across some evidence that we made a mistake in our past
definitions, our ability to let go of the old definitions and embrace the
correct ones will only serve to help us.
In some respects, a lot of the Blog Entries to follow will
be my current understanding of how God defines the terms. I recognize that I could be in error and I
invite anyone who reads this to awaken me to those errors. I hope you will have the same willingness to
let go of your errors.
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