What is a heretic?

[elijah23]

What is a heretic? Do you have to be in a position of authority to be a heretic, or can anyone be one?

 

[mutzrein]

Yeah - anyone can be a heretic coz I know I'm one.

 

[sheepdog]

Here is what the dictionary says about heretics:
–noun 1. a professed believer who maintains religious opinions contrary to those accepted by his or her church or rejects doctrines prescribed by that church.
2. Roman Catholic Church. a baptized Roman Catholic who willfully and persistently rejects any article of faith.
3. anyone who does not conform to an established attitude, doctrine, or principle.

–adjective 4. heretical.


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Origin:
1300–50; ME heretik < MF heretique < LL haereticus < Gk hairetikós able to choose (LGk: heretical), equiv. to hairet(ós) that may be taken (verbal adj. of haireîn to choose) + -ikos -ic


Synonyms:
1. apostate, backslider, recreant, protestant. 3. dissenter, skeptic, freethinker

 

[ronniechoate34]

What is and what isn't a heretical isn't so cut and dried for everyone. Heretics are a matter of perspective.

 

[azlan88]

A man who was against persecuting heretics believed that anybody can be a heritic. Although this is true from a legal perspective, I disagree with him on spiritual grounds. I believe that heresy is genuinly commited by people who distort the true gospel.

 

[mondar]

What is a heretic? Do you have to be in a position of authority to be a heretic, or can anyone be one?

The term heresy or heretic is determined by the greek word ????????. It has two different possible uses. The word is used several times in the NT.
1-- One use is in 1 Cor 11:19. It speaks of divisive people. If you remember the beginning of the book there was a party sectarian spirit in the Corinthian Church. Such contentious and sectarian people are to be considered heretics and avoided.
2-- Another possible use is to mark one of false teaching. The word is used in this sense in 1 Peter 2:1. Here the heretic is spoken of in terms of the false prophet, or one who deviates from the Gospel. Historically, doctrines identified with Pelagius, Arius, and the 3ird century gnostics were considered heretical. Arianism denies the trinity, Pelagianism denies original sin, Gnosticism comes in varied forms but often denied the humanity of Christ.

Your question is a good question because the NT places a command upon us to avoid heretics and immoral persons. However, the task of evangelism and apologetics is not a part of this. The idea of heresy does not include those outside of what is considered Christianity. The heretic is not one from the outside, but one from inside the Church.

I COR 6
9 I wrote unto you in my epistle to have no company with fornicators;
10 not at all meaning with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous and extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world:
11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat.

How does all this apply? Well, sometimes we walk a fine line.

 

[JudaicChristian]

What is a heretic? Do you have to be in a position of authority to be a heretic, or can anyone be one?

Originally a heretic was any person who disagreed with the authority of the Pope, and the doctrine established by the Catholic Church. There doctrines consisted of such things as: The authority of the Pope, Sunday Sabbath, Trinitarianism, Hell, saints, images, and so on.

 

[francisdesales]

Originally a heretic was any person who disagreed with the authority of the Pope, and the doctrine established by the Catholic Church. There doctrines consisted of such things as: The authority of the Pope, Sunday Sabbath, Trinitarianism, Hell, saints, images, and so on.

The Greek term is found in the Bible, and Mondar is correct in its meaning. It refers to a Christian who disagrees with accepted Christian teaching and causes schism because of his or her personal opinion.

Thus, it is not "any" person who disagrees with the "authority of the Pope", since Muslims disagree with the authority of the Pope, but are not considered heretics. Heretics come from inside the community...

What is important to note is HOW a reformer reacts to tensions when the institutional church reacts to what they believe is a problematic teaching.

What does the reformer do when confronted with such difficulties?

Luther would have been a great Catholic saint, had his reaction been more in line with St. Catherine of Sienna, who had no qualms in attacking the heirarchy, even the Pope, but always affirming the underlying authority of the Church. (This is quite a statement, given that this saint was a WOMAN during the 1400's - recall how women were treated then, but the Church recognized her as a saint.)

Unfortunately, Luther refused to hear the Church, and so was then considered a "heathan man and a publican", as per the words of Jesus Christ Himself... (Matt 18:17)

Regards

 

[Physicist]

Trivial answer

What is a heretic? Do you have to be in a position of authority to be a heretic, or can anyone be one?

Heresy-What the other guy believes
True doctrine- What you believe.

On a more serious note, a great number of wars have been fought over what now seems like trivial matters of dogma. Does anyone today want to burn books that say the Jesus is like but not identical to YHWH? Yet, at one time you could be threatened with capital punishment for being on the wrong side of this issue.

Today, Sunnis war with Shias over dogmatic points that seem minor to non-Muslims.

I really think that questions of who is a heretic is more a question of which tribe you belong to than esoteric theological matters.

 

[Drew]

Re: Trivial answer

On a more serious note, a great number of wars have been fought over what now seems like trivial matters of dogma. Does anyone today want to burn books that say the Jesus is like but not identical to YHWH? Yet, at one time you could be threatened with capital punishment for being on the wrong side of this issue.

While I certainly would not endorse war over such things, I will state that what often seen like trivial theological details profoundly inform the way we live and act in the world. Effectively, this is as true for the atheist / agnostic as it is for the "religious". If you wish, I can give examples.

I really think that questions of who is a heretic is more a question of which tribe you belong to than esoteric theological matters.

I agree that heresy in the eye of the beholder. If you are here long enough, you will no doubt discern that the term "heresy" is used by some as one would pick up and use a club to "help your opponent see the truth". In short, when one's argument is not very strong, one compensates with demonizing rhetoric - such as use of the inflaming appelation of "heretic".

 

[elijah23]

My own standard of heresy might be when a church leader rejects the teachings of Jesus, found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What do you think?