Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. By extension, heresy is an opinion or doctrine in philosophy, politics, science, art, etc., at variance with those generally accepted as authoritative." The study of heresy is heresiology.

Etymology

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The word "heresy" comes from the Greek αιρεσις, hairesis (from αιρεομαι, haireomai, "choose"), which means either a choice of beliefs or a faction of dissident believers. It was given wide currency by Irenaeus in his tract Contra Haereses (Against Heresies) to describe and discredit his opponents in the early Christian Church. He described his own position as orthodox (from ortho- "straight" + doxa "thinking") and his position eventually evolved into the position of the early Christian Church.

Thus it will be perceived that "heresy" has no purely objective meaning: the category exists only from the point-of-view of a position within a sect that has been previously defined as "orthodox". Thus, too, any nonconformist view within any field may be perceived as "heretical" by others within that field who are convinced that their view is "orthodox"; in the sciences this extension is made tongue-in-cheek.

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Awesome: Merriem's grandmother just gave Jase a book of heresy for Christmas. Quote to follow...
LetMeBeFranks (Danny Franks) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:19:18 -0000
Awesome: Merriem's grandmother just gave Jase a book of heresy for Christmas. Quote to follow...
♫ Christian Death - This Is Heresy (Edit)
doomed (Doomed on SomaFM) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:08:08 -0000
♫ Christian Death - This Is Heresy (Edit)
Nothing like NIN's "Heresy" to get one in the Christmas spirit. #TrentReznor>FairyTales
xothan (Ian Carlson) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:48:42 -0000
Nothing like NIN's "Heresy" to get one in the Christmas spirit. #TrentReznor>FairyTales
@Alexis_Greene HAHA,mishpat/judgment against his heresy!
paratzaan (paul J hetherington) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:56:05 -0000
@Alexis_Greene HAHA,mishpat/judgment against his heresy!
@alyssanic0le Heresy!!!
thebrowncoat (Brent Sower) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:41:17 -0000
@alyssanic0le Heresy!!!
I know this is probably considered heresy, but that Victoria Wood programme was rubbish. Or was it just me?
John_murphy1 (John Murphy) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 23:15:41 -0000
I know this is probably considered heresy, but that Victoria Wood programme was rubbish. Or was it just me?

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