Metanoia Dictionary

Metanoia Dictionary A nuanced guide to religious terms

Metanoia Dictionary

by Maartje Reggin

June 2017 Metanoia Dictionary consists of abstract terms constructed from personal, critical observations made from experience. Metanoia Dictionary considers these observations reliable and verifiable.

However, inaccuracies on a personal level can occur, consequently readers using this information do so at their own risk. Š Metanioa Dictionary all rights reserved.

All rights reserved. This dictionary or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

Printed in the Netherlands Premiere edition First Printing, 2017

Introduction

A nuanced guide to religious terms coming forth from a journey of changing one’s mind, heart, views, self and way of life.

This dictionary gives three definitions: 1. (religious) The religious, dogmatic, bigot view on the term 2. (nuanced) The nuanced conclusion of a Christian 3. (reality) The generally accepted view from society

Apologizing

(noun)

1. (religious) Something you mainly do towards God when it comes to breaking His Law 2. (naunced) Realizing exactly how many mistakes a person can make, especially with opinions rooted in religion 3. (reality) Something that comes with accepting differences completely, which should be of a higher, if not the highest, priority in society

Bible

(noun)

1. (religious) The tool to use as absolute truth to deny all opposing opinions and views, that is especially practical when taken out of context to be suitable to one person’s advantage 2. (naunced) A book that enlightens and lovingly confronts personal beliefs and serves as a guide, full of advice and encouragement 3. (reality) A book considered to have the most thorough collection in its kind

Change

(noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something to stay away from at all times since the correct and traditional way is already defined 2. (naunced) Something that should be done constantly at a personal level in order to be relevant, but can only be done to a certain degree when the change is desired from others 3. (reality) Something that happens when circumstances develop

Choice

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that is always available, but is strongly encouraged not to be done, especially in case it will bring along change that does not conform to the rules set before you 2. (naunced) Something that defines what aspects of your identity are most cultivated 3. (reality) Something that is done in order to achieve self development

Christians

(noun)

1. (religious) The people who are always right 2. (naunced) The people that have a deepened meaning of life on a spiritual level and believe in the trinity (God, Jesus and Holy Spirit) being and desiring love above everything else, which flows over into their actions 3. (reality) The people that might have slightly different opinions but are essentially just like anyone else

Church

(noun)

1. (religious) The institute that has the most power and is allowed to assign and reflect their ideas to all of society 2. (naunced) A loving community of people with the same core beliefs that are bound together despite personal differences 3. (reality) A place where a group of religious people come together

Confrontation

(noun)

1. (religious) Something religious people have a right to do towards anyone holding different opinions 2. (naunced) Something that is frequently necessary for a person, by both allied and opposing sides in order to develop and be relevant 3. (reality) Sharing your opinions with others in a respectful way

Context

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that is only relevant in case it could serve a religious ulterior purpose 2. (naunced) Something to investigate well in order to know the true intention and keep in mind while deciding whether something is actually relevant or not 3. (reality) Something to keep in mind before deciding upon an opinion

(God’s) Design

(noun)

1. (religious) Everything that cannot be fully understood, but is still presented to be completely clear by what the bible describes about it; since that is easier than to discern that God might actually be so great that He created things that go beyond understanding 2. (naunced) Something of which only a fraction is made known through the bible and science, and the rest comes to the beauty of God wanting us to wonder about, imagine and experience things that go beyond understanding 3. (reality) Science, ‘everything happens for a reason’ and ‘karma’

Devil

(noun)

1. (religious) Someone or something with sudden influence to blame in case something goes beyond understanding or assigned conservative ideals 2. (naunced) A concept which existence cannot be denied, but which cannot be used as ‘having a power over people’ when there is something that cannot be understood 3. (reality) Something used when describing something negative

Discovering

(verb)

1. (religious) Something to shy away from at all times thus should not be done too much, especially in case it leads to gaining different ideas 2. (naunced) Something necessary to be practiced in order to remain from being a bigot; something which encourages stronger and better formulated views 3. (reality) The experience of what was once unfamiliar

Dogma

(noun)

1. (religious) Something to thrive on and hold on to through all times 2. (naunced) Something that needs to be questioned and possibly broken down so that the horizon of personal views can be broadened 3. (reality) Something belonging to annoying people

Evolution

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that is undeniably false 2. (naunced) Something that shows the marvel of a great God that is transforming over time in some things, yet staying the same in others; an aspect of God that Christians should reflect 3. (reality) Change is needed to stay the same

Feelings

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that can, at all times, be ruled out by rationality 2. (naunced) Something to follow and investigate in order to find personal views 3. (reality) Something that should live in harmony with rationality

Forgiveness

(noun)

1. (religious) Something a person only does to people who hold similar ideas 2. (naunced) Something that frees a person from thinking they are holding the only right opinion 3. (reality) Something to do to excuse a person from the mistakes they have done towards an other person

God

(noun)

1. (religious) Someone to whom a person can attribute their actions for justification 2. (naunced) Marvellous creator, source of love, patient and graceful being 3. (reality) Someone whose existence is difficult to prove; word to use in exclamation of an emotion

Harsh

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that is fair to be to another in case the person speaking definitely knows best 2. (naunced) A way in which a person may come across when trying to explain their personal views 3. (reality) An opinion without nuanced language

Hate

(noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something that comes forth from knowing best in everything because a person has authoritative, divine insight 2. (naunced) Something that can occur but should be avoided to be voiced too fervidly 3. (reality) A very strong dislike to something or someone

Hell

(noun)

1. (religious) Furiously burning place full of misery where all people who do not conform to all the rules belong 2. (naunced) Place where people might go in case they do not realize that mistakes they have made had a negative influence on the world 3. (reality) Word used to indicate a very rough place or to emphasize an expression

Heterosexuality

(noun)

1. (religious) The accepted natural kind of physical attraction towards the opposite sex, leading to marriage and a family, whether you feel this attraction or not 2. (naunced) When you are physically attracted to the opposite sex, which happens to be what society’s standard is as well 3. (reality) When you happen to be attracted to the opposite sex

Homophobic

(noun)

1. (religious) Something you naturally should be since all homosexuals are despicable, offensive beings 2. (naunced) Something that is unfortunately deeply ingrained in our society since it is built upon a Christian culture that disapproved homosexuals 3. (reality) Being afraid and unaccepting of homosexuals

Homosexuality

(noun)

1. (religious) The worst mistake, or choice, you can make in your life that will send you to Hell 2. (naunced) Something Christians find hard to understand because they are afraid of the idea of anal sex and not being able to have children 3. (reality) Being someone who is just like anyone else

Hurting

(verb)

1. (religious) Something that will occur and is justifiable when a person has to be pointed to their mistakes 2. (naunced) Something that may occasionally and possibly accidentally happen when voicing a personal view 3. (reality) Being damaged in any way by another person

Identity

(noun)

1. (religious) Something solely shaped by God 2. (naunced) Something shaped by God and enhanced by society, upbringing, character and personal views 3. (reality) Something shaped by society, upbringing, character and personal views

Influence

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that should be applied to others in order for them to follow similar ideals 2. (naunced) Something that, when received well, can bring growth and new views 3. (reality) Something exterior that shapes identity or actions

Interpretation

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that can only happen when it serves a religious purpose 2. (naunced) Something that is needed to understand more than one context 3. (reality) Something that explains a personal point of view

Jesus Christ

(noun)

1. (religious) The son of God 2. (naunced) Someone who came to earth to rebel against the lost view on God, to encourage love and reconcile people with a holy God 3. (reality) Someone important to Christians; an exclamation used to express emotion

Judgement

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that is obviously not only reserved for God, but can be practiced by any religious person 2. (naunced) Something that Christians give way too fast and often without apprehension of the effects of words 3. (reality) Something to discern right from wrong

Knowledge

(noun)

1. (religious) Something the religious have in abundance 2. (naunced) Something that requires humbleness 3. (reality) Something gained by new information

Love

(noun)

1. (religious) Something often confused with a zeal for being right and all-knowing 2. (naunced) A motivation for actions and views, inspired by Jesus 3. (reality) An underestimated power

Marriage

(noun)

1. (religious) Something to be done before God between a male and a female alone 2. (naunced) A commitment that reflects the unity of God’s male and female side, whatever the gender of the people entering in this unison is the same or different 3. (reality) A unison between two people

Meaning

(noun)

1. (religious) Something very one-sided, all pointing to the same moral truth 2. (naunced) Something that is defined by personal investigation and knowledge of context 3. (reality) That which shapes how important an opinion is

Opinion

(noun)

1. (religious) Something everyone has, but a religious one is always superior 2. (naunced) Something which has to be handled with care and love, even when the ideas are opposing from one’s own 3. (reality) That which makes you stand out as an individual

Problem

(noun)

1. (religious) Everything and everyone that holds different ideas, especially if they act upon those ideas 2. (naunced) The fact that people want to force their opinions upon one another 3. (reality) Something that needs solving

Purpose

(noun)

1. (religious) Having the goal to convince everyone of a single opinion 2. (naunced) Something that gives direction into life, choices and actions 3. (reality) Something that gives determination

Religion

(noun)

1. (religious) Something that, when possessed by a person, makes the person superior to everyone else 2. (naunced) A system that makes rules and exclusion more important than practicing love 3. (reality) Something followed with devotion

Religious

(adjective, noun)

1. (religious) Being superior to other people 2. (naunced) A way to act or be that denotes having bigoted views, no matter what the person’s personal view is 3. (reality) Supporting the ideas of a religion

Respect

(noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something given to people who share similar ideas only 2. (naunced) Something which, in an honest form, needs to be cultivated more, especially in the religious world 3. (reality) Something a lot of people lack

Right

(adjective, adverb, noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something religious people always are 2. (naunced) Something which, when possessed, needs to be questioned for its genuinity 3. (reality) Something deemed acceptable

Rules

(noun)

1. (religious) Something to conform to in everything 2. (naunced) Something to give direction, without obligation to follow 3. (reality) Something that serve regulation

Sex

(noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something only to be done by a man and a woman with the prospect of reproduction 2. (naunced) An act coming forth out of love that binds two people together in both the physical and emotional 3. (reality) A physical act between two people

Sin

(noun, verb)

1. (religious) Something that should make a person feel very guilty and change their ways 2. (naunced) A term used amongst Christians to describe something that keeps a person away from God or their purpose in some way; this term has the person’s own opinions and views intertwined in it and thus cannot be reflected upon another 3. (reality) Something that is considered shameful

Temptation

(noun)

1. (religious) Something one might be challenged with but shall not speak about since it is doubtlessly wrong 2. (naunced) Something that might seem like a bad idea, and often also is, depending on a person’s personal views 3. (reality) A desire that might be proven to be wrong in retrospect

Truth

(noun)

1. (religious) Something only the religious know all about 2. (naunced) Something very unique and personal to a person that depends on many factors 3. (reality) When something is not false

Trying

(verb)

1. (religious) The verb a religious person uses when not wanting to change their own ways but feeling obligated to react towards another person’s idea 2. (naunced) The early start of a movement that will bring along change 3. (reality) Making an effort

Understanding

(adjective, noun)

1. (religious) Something only needed to be done from the side that belongs to the person in question 2. (naunced) Something that requires training and being able to see further than one point of view 3. (reality) When something is comprehended

Upbringing

(noun)

1. (religious) Something in which either a religious view is brought into a life or, if this is not the case, something that should be forgotten all together in order to fully conform to the religious view 2. (naunced) Something that has a deeper root into the formation of views than might initially be realized when exposed to them 3. (reality) The things parents want to pass on to their children the most

Vulnerable

(noun)

1. (religious) A way of being that should never be shown to anyone that holds different views and opinions 2. (naunced) A way of being, to both the person itself and towards others, that should be the point of focus when opening up to different views and opinions 3. (reality) When a part of a person is exposed to be seen by another

Words

(noun)

1. (religious) Something used to speak about a person’s views; to convince and hurt others 2. (naunced) Something that can change a person’s perspective when truly listened to 3. (reality) Something that is used to communicate

Wrong (adjective, adverb, noun, verb)

1. (religious) A way for a religious person to see another person’s view 2. (naunced) Something that might seem to be true at first but with further investigation becomes blurred 3. (reality) A way of defining something as not good

This dictionary is a guide to terms often used by religious people. It shows the different nuances that can exist within terms and how they are always perceived from a personal perspective.