ENTRY 3 DEFINING THE TERMS

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.