What exactly is heresy? - And which denominations do you see as heretic?

Discussion in 'Questions?' started by Silvan, Jul 18, 2021.

  1. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    What exactly is heresy? - And which Christian denominations do you see as heretic?

    Your answers would interest me
     
  2. PDL

    PDL Well-Known Member Anglican

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    It would seem to me that the description of heresey in the Latin Catholic Church's Codex Iuris Canonici canon 751 gives a succint definition, which I would accept. I do not know if any Anglican church has formally defined it.
     
  3. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    "Can. 751 Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith"

    One problem with that definition is: who gets to decide what is "divine and Catholic faith"? Those who wrote this definition presume that the Roman Magisterium gets to decide.

    I think an addendum to the definition is needed, such as: "...divine and Catholic faith" which has been handed down to us by God via His written word, the Bible. Thus would the word of God, not any Magisterium, be the arbiter of divine Truth.
     
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  4. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    Exactly!
    Else everybody can accuse everybode else of "heresy".

    The word "heresy" is often used in this forum, I noticed.
    Why?
     
  5. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    Heretics are usually people who disagree with bigots. :laugh:
    Bigots are dismissive of any who disagree with them. :biglaugh:

    Heretic: A person whose views are at variance with those of the majority of a religious community.
    So whether you, as an individual, are a heretic or not depends on which religious group you happen to be with at the time. It's a label others put on you to preserve their perceived group identity.

    It works with groups too.

    Heretic: A group whose views are at variance with those of the majority of other religious groups.
    .
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2021
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  6. ZachT

    ZachT Well-Known Member

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    Excluding the title of the resurrected thread on TEC from 2014, I've only ever seen it used in this forum to refer to old Early Church heresies. It's used there because it's the most appropriate descriptor. Perhaps the forum used the term more liberally in 2014.
     
  7. JonahAF

    JonahAF Moderator Staff Member Typist Anglican

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    Since this is a topic we've been working on, I thought I'd chime in. The term 'heresy' is a technical canonical term, and I have been long planning to bring online the books of Anglican jurisprudence and ecclesiastical law. We haven't gotten around to it yet! So sorry about that, we're working on it. In the meantime, here are the texts I have had on my plate.

    John Ayliffe, Parergon juris canonici anglicani : or, A commentary, by way of supplement to the canons and constitutions of the Church of England (1726)
    -archive.org
    -the definition of Heresy and discussions around it are on p. 288.

    Edmund Gibson, Codex Iuris Ecclesiastici Anglicani, or, Statutes, Constitutions, Canons, Rubricks and Articles, of Church of England, with a Commentary, Historical and Juridical (1713)
    -vol.1: https://archive.org/details/codexjuriseccles01chur
    -vol.2: https://archive.org/details/codexjuriseccles02chur
    -"XVI. preaching of heretical doctrines, and of heresy"

    Richard Burn, Ecclesiastical Law, in four volumes (1763)
    -vol.1 (1797): https://books.google.com/books?id=BaJoSrhICusC
    -vol.2 (1797): https://books.google.com/books?id=6FBLYLYcbwAC
    -vol.3 (1797): https://books.google.com/books?id=OLQDAAAAQAAJ
    -vol.4: https://books.google.com/books?id=KQVAAAAAYAAJ
    -the last volume has the Table of Contents, see 'heresy', on page p.480

    There are 3-4 other books before the year 1800 (and half a dozen after that, but that's outside our scope).

    I am sorry we don't have these up yet! I hope this can stand in for now.
     
  8. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    Same here.
    For me the words sounds a bit historical.
    That's why I was surprised to see it used in a modern context.
     
  9. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    That seems a very good definition to me! :)
     
  10. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    But then, Tiffy has (at least one time the past that I know of) described himself as the Anglican Forum's "resident heretic." :laugh:
     
  11. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    That's because of the company I keep. :laugh: And my heresy was, my contention that the only God there is, is not male.
    .
     
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2021
  12. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    That reminds me of this dialogue:

    Priest, asking an astronaut after his return from space: "Did you meet God there?"
    Astronaut: "Yes. And she is black."
     
  13. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    And Jewish. He'd read "The Shack", perhaps?
     
  14. Silvan

    Silvan Active Member

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    No, I did not.
    What is it about?
     
  15. PDL

    PDL Well-Known Member Anglican

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    If you read my post I was talking about heresey and not heresy:D.

    I was really focused on the first part of the definition. I suppose one could replace Catholic with Christian.

    I suppose who decides what it is will depend on your denomination. I belong to the Church of England and as I understand it the House of Bishops of the General Synod determines matters on doctrine.
     
  16. PDL

    PDL Well-Known Member Anglican

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    I do not think as others have said that heresy is an old term or an outdated concept. It is still possible to commit heresy.

    Deny the Holy Trinity; say that Jesus Christ was a mere mortal man and not God; deny the existence of Hell. I would say doing any of those would be heretical.

    It is probably unfashionable to talk about heresy just as you are very unlikely to hear your priest reminding you from the pulpit about sin and eternal damnation. We are no longer to know our souls can be in mortal peril. We are simply to feel all warm and fuzzy about ourselves and everyone else.
     
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  17. Rexlion

    Rexlion Well-Known Member

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    Any teaching that adds a requirement of works or deeds to the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith only is also a heresy.

    There are many so-called 'churches' that add such a requirement. The Mormons teach that one must believe in Joseph Smith as a prophet, must be a member of their denomination, and must perform works in order to reach the 'Celestial Kingdom' of the Father. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that one must be a member of their denomination, witness diligently and strive hard to become one of the 144,000 who will be preserved at the end. The Romans teach that if one is not a member of their denomination and a recipient of the Roman Sacraments, as well as adding one's merits to God's initial justifying grace, it is hardly possible to be saved. The Christian Scientists teach that one must exercise mind over matter and work out one's own problems in order to overcome sickness and death.
     
  18. Thomist Anglican

    Thomist Anglican Member Anglican

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    I was raised a JW, and was a devout Witness until my conversion to Christianity many years ago, and that is not exactly what they believe. They have two hopes, an earthly one and a heavenly one. The 144,000 are the ones who are chosen by God, anointed as they say, and are the only ones who go to Heaven when they die or when Christ returns at the Last Day. The rest of the Witnesses who are not of the 144,000 are to live on a reformed paradise earth for all eternity. Recently, their leaders have been pushing a belief that baptism is necessary to salvation, primarily, in my opinion, because baptism makes one a member of the JW's and once one is a member, called a Publisher, they are stuck in a controlling organization that is very costly, emotionally, to leave.
    But that was just a quick correction so no random JW that may stumble upon this would be angered at not correctly representing them. :)
     
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  19. ZachT

    ZachT Well-Known Member

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    I think such a strict bound of faith is a bit dangerous. Might I add one - "Anglicans teach that one must be baptised into the faith in order to receive grace". We don't want to shoot ourselves in the foot there :p.

    Of course I also agree all those churches are heretical.
     
  20. Tiffy

    Tiffy Well-Known Member

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    About this.
     
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