What Does heresy Mean
A heresy is an opinion or a set of ideas that opposes beliefs considered irrevocable in a social context. Generally, the hegemonic ideal responds to a religious archetype and is based on the imposition of a doctrine or dogma of faith , which must be strictly respected by all individuals who are part of society. For example: "To maintain that Mary was not a virgin is an unacceptable heresy" , "Adoptionism is a heresy that maintains that Christ is a human being who acquired divinity when he was adopted by God . "
The emergence of a heresy is given by a dissent in the way in which two or more groups understand the truth of existence .
The Catholic Church is one of the institutions that has most vigorously defended its dogmas. In his quest for absolute power, he has condemned all those who opposed his truth. For this reason, throughout history many persecutions and murders have been committed to those individuals who manifest a line of thought that is opposed to what is established by the church . The sentences for them could range from excommunication to torture of all kinds and murder.
Martin Luther and Galileo Galilei are two of the historical figures excommunicated and considered heretics by the Catholic Church . In the case of Galilei the accusation was more foolish, since the theories expressed by this thinker, had a succulent scientific support . This made it clear that the Church was not opposed to what it considered false, but to everything that jeopardized the hegemony of its ideas.
Types of heresies
Within the Church, a heretic is someone who, having been baptized and acquainted with the truths of the faith, denies or questions the word of God . It is worth mentioning that there is a detailed list of the possible ways of committing a heresy, and whoever complies with them must give their statement in front of the institution. The most important events in history are:
* That of the Abecedarians . Who in the sixteenth century claimed that the way to save was not knowing or reading or writing. They were affirmed in the ideas of Luther, but taking them to an absolutist extreme. They considered that the sacred scriptures were no longer necessary , since the truth could be perceived only through the spirit, with a life of reflection.
* Adoptionism is another type of heresy. This doctrine recognizes Jesus as a human being who was elevated to divine status by God's design through adoption . This classification includes the Jewish rite, in which the virginity of Mary and the existence of Jesus as the son of real God are denied. One of the best known adoptionists was Theodotus the Tanner, who lived in Rome around 190.
It is important to point out that the only way not to be a heretic (if one is baptized) is by signing the Apostasy document , through which a Catholic renounces his faith in front of the institution and is free of all obligations regarding the doctrines of the Church .
In colloquial speech, the concept has acquired other meanings. Some of them are:
* The wrong sentence against the principles of a science or an art . Example: "Many writers think that García Márquez committed a heresy by asking for the abolition of spelling rules . "
* The wrong action . Example: "Throwing food away in a world with millions of hungry people is heresy . "
* The insulting words or the damage caused unjustly . Example: "Hitting such a small child is a real heresy . "