Vocabulary of the World’s Religions
Why are Words Important?
The term “word” may be defined as “the
exact representation of an idea or concept.” Words make communication
possible … without them we would only grunt or bark or snort or hiss …
without them it would be impossible for us to share ideas or concepts with
other human beings. However, in order for us to communicate with words, we
must share a common definition of the terms that we use.
In order to communicate ideas
effectively we must use the exact word that produces the desired mental
image in the mind of the person with whom we wish to communicate. For
example, the word “truck” conjures up many different mental images. When
used alone the word produces in the minds of some some people the image of
a very large vehicle with 18 (or more) wheels, for others it produces an
image of a much smaller vehicle with only four wheels. Even when used with
other words, the image produced is not always the image intended. The term
“fire truck” may define anything from a small rescue vehicle to a large
hook-and-ladder truck and, depending on the area of the country in which
you live, it may be red or yellow or white.
When we begin discussing the religious
beliefs of the peoples around the world, an exact definition of the words
that we use becomes of critical importance, because without a precise
agreement on the meaning of the words that we use we can never communicate
accurately the concepts that we wish to convey. The term “salvation,” for
example, means a great number of different things to those of different
religions. To some, “salvation” means to be glorified to the status of
godhood and given a planet to rule over. To others it means to be granted
the privilege of living forever in a re-created and perfect Earth. To
still others the word means to become one with the essence of deity.
On the pages in this section we have
attempted to define some of the key terms that are used in the various
major religions of the world, so that we may come to correctly understand
them the same way they are understood by the members of those religions.
Vocabularies are currently available for
the following religions:
Buddhism
Confucianism
Hinduism
Islam
Jainism
Judaism
Shintoism
Sikhism
Taoism
Zoroastrianism
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