How about making a parallel for religion with language that goes like this:
Languages - Language - dialect - idiolect
Religions - Religion - Religious Sect - idiogen
The point is, for example, that that attack on religion always characterises it as monolithic or sectarian which it isn't. All religious people have an unpredictable personal variant on religious belief too.
And what you say and your private opinions are similar probably to many other Christians and Muslims. For example, the "idiogen" of a Muslim woman will probably be idealistic and hopeful about the future of women in Islam in a way that her religion as a whole or her particular religious sect would not approve of. So she keeps it to herself. She values her community above her idiogen.
Talk to most Christians, of course, and you will find that each person, no matter what their church says, often has quite a rich and individualistic spiritual life. Most Catholic women, I believe, expect that at some point there will be women priests and that priests will be allowed to marry. But they don't openly say it. It's their private hope and belief. They keep quiet because they value their community above their idiogen.
Look at Vatican II and what a revolution that was. Well, who knows, if these extreme right wing Poles and Germans ever get their claws out of the papacy, you might get a Vatican III. And I think you will have to have a Vatican III. Because the Catholic church is held together by women in truth.
Of the non-conformists. Well their name defines them doesn't it. But the problem with the non-conformists may be when your idiogen takes the place of a community religion, it negates community worship. That sort of ever so personal and private belief defeats half the purpose of a church, which is to share religious feeling and serve and help other people in a community or a family.
Non-conformism is a problem when your own little variant becomes a selfish and all inclusive personal religion of one.
Perhaps the best church for someone with a religion of one to hide in is the Quaker church. You don't need to say anything or really believe anything everyone else believes or hold onto an ideology. You just have to learn the art of silence. Well, this is my experience of it:
So people have their own variant of religion, an idiogen, which they hold in abeyance because it contradicts the belief of their religious sect. Christian sect or Muslim sect. Well perhaps there is a better way of saying idiogen. For example:
"personal variant of a mainstream religion or individual and personalised set of religious or mystical beliefs"
However Idiogen is shorter and parallels the word "idiolect" which is a term to describe an individual variant of a language - dialect.
Now the point about individual idiogens is that they may differ quite a lot from the actual religion the individual believer belongs too. Perhaps a Catholic woman will hold different views about the desirability of woman priests and contraceptive methods to the mainstream religion. She may, but she will probably put them on the back burner in order to participate in the wider Catholic community, she won't make an issue of them.
The logical consequence of this is to have a sort of Kinsey report of religion. To find out, somehow, what Muslim women really thought of the position of women in their society and publish it. To find out what Catholic women really think of birth control and abortion and exclusively male bachelor priests.
The results would help catalyse change. Research as Lutheranism. Hidden liberalism and modern social values are inside individual believers. Let them out.
I think it's a useful term.
Languages - Language - dialect - idiolect
Religions - Religion - Religious Sect - idiogen
The point is, for example, that that attack on religion always characterises it as monolithic or sectarian which it isn't. All religious people have an unpredictable personal variant on religious belief too.
And what you say and your private opinions are similar probably to many other Christians and Muslims. For example, the "idiogen" of a Muslim woman will probably be idealistic and hopeful about the future of women in Islam in a way that her religion as a whole or her particular religious sect would not approve of. So she keeps it to herself. She values her community above her idiogen.
Talk to most Christians, of course, and you will find that each person, no matter what their church says, often has quite a rich and individualistic spiritual life. Most Catholic women, I believe, expect that at some point there will be women priests and that priests will be allowed to marry. But they don't openly say it. It's their private hope and belief. They keep quiet because they value their community above their idiogen.
Look at Vatican II and what a revolution that was. Well, who knows, if these extreme right wing Poles and Germans ever get their claws out of the papacy, you might get a Vatican III. And I think you will have to have a Vatican III. Because the Catholic church is held together by women in truth.
Of the non-conformists. Well their name defines them doesn't it. But the problem with the non-conformists may be when your idiogen takes the place of a community religion, it negates community worship. That sort of ever so personal and private belief defeats half the purpose of a church, which is to share religious feeling and serve and help other people in a community or a family.
Non-conformism is a problem when your own little variant becomes a selfish and all inclusive personal religion of one.
Perhaps the best church for someone with a religion of one to hide in is the Quaker church. You don't need to say anything or really believe anything everyone else believes or hold onto an ideology. You just have to learn the art of silence. Well, this is my experience of it:
So people have their own variant of religion, an idiogen, which they hold in abeyance because it contradicts the belief of their religious sect. Christian sect or Muslim sect. Well perhaps there is a better way of saying idiogen. For example:
"personal variant of a mainstream religion or individual and personalised set of religious or mystical beliefs"
However Idiogen is shorter and parallels the word "idiolect" which is a term to describe an individual variant of a language - dialect.
Now the point about individual idiogens is that they may differ quite a lot from the actual religion the individual believer belongs too. Perhaps a Catholic woman will hold different views about the desirability of woman priests and contraceptive methods to the mainstream religion. She may, but she will probably put them on the back burner in order to participate in the wider Catholic community, she won't make an issue of them.
The logical consequence of this is to have a sort of Kinsey report of religion. To find out, somehow, what Muslim women really thought of the position of women in their society and publish it. To find out what Catholic women really think of birth control and abortion and exclusively male bachelor priests.
The results would help catalyse change. Research as Lutheranism. Hidden liberalism and modern social values are inside individual believers. Let them out.
I think it's a useful term.
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