Re: communication

Arthur V. Chadwick (chadwicka@swac.edu)
Sat, 11 Oct 1997 11:07:57 -0700

At 08:45 PM 10/7/97 -0700, Gordon wrote:
>If you'll bear with a bit of nit-picking, this phrase is misleading, on
>strictly semantic terms. The root of 'creationist' is 'create'. Webster's
>offers the following definitions: 1. to bring into existence, 4a. to
>produce through imaginative skill; to make or bring into existence.
>Everyone in this forum is agreed that God did indeed create the universe,
>by this definition. If you define 'creation' to include the additional
>content 'in 6 24-hr days several thousand years ago,' you are making the
>definition more complex.

Roots are interesting etymologically, but don't always stack up very well
against usage. Creationist does have a meaning and webster is quite
definitive. It means according to the New World dictionary, "The doctrine
that ascribes the origin of matter and of distinct species of animals and
plants to acts of creation by God." It is in that sense that I use the
word. If someone wants to mean something other than that, I suggest they
choose another word to prevent semantic confusion.

>Communication is the transmission of information from one person to
>another. If, in communicating to someone else, you use the other person's
>definitions, you are in fact becoming a better communicator.

If I were to do that I would only perpetuate the confusion and contribute
further to erroneous thought. I was hoping to maybe contribute to clarity
by using commonly recognized definitions. It appears that you or someone
wants to remove the communicative value from the commonly held definition
of creation, by making it mean the opposite. If I have missed something
please feel free to set me straight.

Art
http://chadwicka.swau.edu