The Concise Oxford Dictionary (8 Ed, 1990), shows, for "heretic", "the holder of an unorthodox opinion", and "hist. a person believing in or practising religious heresy", with the root "Gk hairetikos able to choose", and, for heresy, "belief or practice contrary to the orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church", and "opinion contrary to what is normally accepted or maintained", and, as the root, "Gk hairesis choice".
And, on the web page at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/heretic , is stated;
"
her·e·tic
/n. ˈhɛrɪtɪk; adj. ˈhɛrɪtɪk, həˈrɛtɪk/ Show Spelled[n. her-i-tik;
adj. her-i-tik, huh-ret-ik] Show IPA
–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
"
which shows that a Heretic is a person who makes up the person's own
mind; who decides for himself or herself; who has the ability to
choose for the person's own self.
The term "heretic" is used in the Edict of Thessalonica; the web page
at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Thessalonica states:
"
The Edict of Thessalonica, also known as Cunctos populos, was
delivered on 27 February 380 by Theodosius I, Gratian, and Valentinian
II in order that all their subjects should profess the faith of the
bishops of Rome and Alexandria. This made Nicene Christianity the
official state religion of the Roman Empire. The edict was issued
shortly after Theodosius had suffered a severe illness in Thessalonica
and was baptized by Acholius, the bishop of that city.
"
and...
"
Text
IMPPP. GR(ATI)IANUS, VAL(ENTINI)ANUS ET THE(O)D(OSIUS) AAA. EDICTUM AD POPULUM VRB(IS) CONSTANTINOP(OLITANAE).
Cunctos populos, quos clementiae nostrae regit temperamentum, in tali volumus religione versari, quam divinum Petrum apostolum tradidisse Romanis religio usque ad nunc ab ipso insinuata declarat quamque pontificem Damasum sequi claret et Petrum Aleksandriae episcopum virum apostolicae sanctitatis, hoc est, ut secundum apostolicam disciplinam evangelicamque doctrinam patris et filii et spiritus sancti unam deitatem sub pari maiestate et sub pia trinitate credamus. Hanc legem sequentes Christianorum catholicorum nomen iubemus amplecti, reliquos vero dementes vesanosque iudicantes haeretici dogmatis infamiam sustinere ‘nec conciliabula eorum ecclesiarum nomen accipere’, divina primum vindicta, post etiam motus nostri, quem ex caelesti arbitro sumpserimus, ultione plectendos.
DAT. III Kal. Mar. THESSAL(ONICAE) GR(ATI)ANO A. V ET THEOD(OSIO) A. I CONSS.
EMPERORS GRATIAN, VALENTINIAN AND THEODOSIUS AUGUSTI. EDICT TO THE
PEOPLE OF CONSTANTINOPLE.
It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to
our Clemency and Moderation, should continue to profess that religion
which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it
has been preserved by faithful tradition, and which is now professed
by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of
apostolic holiness. According to the apostolic teaching and the
doctrine of the Gospel, let us believe in the one deity of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit, in equal majesty and in a holy Trinity.
We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title of Catholic
Christians; but as for the others, since, in our judgment they are
foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the
ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give to their
conventicles the name of churches. They will suffer in the first place
the chastisement of the divine condemnation and in the second the
punishment of our authority which in accordance with the will of
Heaven we shall decide to inflict.
GIVEN IN THESSALONICA ON THE THIRD DAY FROM THE CALENDS OF MARCH,
DURING THE FIFTH CONSULATE OF GRATIAN AUGUSTUS AND FIRST OF THEODOSIUS
AUGUSTUS
—Codex Theodosianus, xvi.1.2
"
... "we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics"
And thus it was ordained by decree, that people who did not follow the official religion, shall be named Heretics.
And, Heretics and Heresies, were declared to be vital, at least a century before that decree;iIn "De Praescriptionibus Adversus Haereticos" - "The Prescription Against Heretics", by "Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicised as Tertullian (ca. 160 – ca. 220 A.D.)", is stated;
"
Chapter I.—Introductory. Heresies Must Exist, and Even Abound; They
are a Probation to Faith.
THE character of the times in which we live is such as to call forth
from us even this admonition,
that we ought not to be astonished at the heresies (which abound)
neither ought their existence
to surprise us, for it was foretold that they should come to pass; nor
the fact that they subvert
the faith of some, for their final cause is, by affording a trial to
faith, to give it also the opportunity
of being “approved.” Groundless, therefore, and inconsiderate is the
offence of the many who
are scandalized by the very fact that heresies prevail to such a
degree. How great (might their
offence have been) if they had not existed. When it has been
determined that a thing must by all
means be, it receives the (final) cause for which it has its being.
This secures the power through
which it exists, in such a way that it is impossible for it not to
have existence.
"
Thus are Heresies and Heretics, regarded as a necessary part of life, and so regarded at least as far back as around 200AD.
And, in "The Edict of Thessalonica, also known as Cunctos populos"., any person who was regarded as a heretic, was to be "branded with the ignominious name of heretics",
and I am a person who thinks for myself, and, who choses what I want to believe,
so, by decree, I am entitled to the name "The Heretic".
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This web page was last updated on 15 February 2012.
This web site was last updated on 15 February 2012.