unbelief
With disbelief , rarely, disbelief , historically Greek and Apistie , especially the will doubt at a presentation or a situation referred (see skepticism ). A distinction is made in linguistic usage between doubts about the correctness of an assertion , an assessment and doubts about the existence and work of a god , about the teaching of a church or religion . Unbelief can denote a doubt about the correctness of a thing, the truth of a statement or a lack of trust in a thing or a development, as well as from a religious point of view the rejection of a religious creed .
Definitions and history of terms
"Infidels" in the religious sense can generally atheists be of agnosticism , however, applies in the philosophical sense with theism as well as atheism compatible. The word unbeliever is also used by followers of some religious communities for followers of other religions or denominations, i.e. also for people who see themselves as believers .
Christianity
Even the apostle Thomas was described as unbelieving because he initially doubted the resurrection of Jesus until he himself saw the wounds of the resurrected one ( John 20 : 19-29 EU ). In Christianity , in partĭbus infidēlium (derived from Infidēles = unbelievers) referred to areas of so-called unbelievers and since the 13th century used as an addition to the title of auxiliary bishops and apostolic vicars who did not have their own bishopric . 1882 was by Pope Leo XIII. the term episcopus ip replaced by titular bishop .
Islam
In Islam there is the term Kufr for "unbelief" and Kāfir for "unbeliever". The term kaffer is also used . A person who is declared disbelieving is called a takfīr .
Lexical classification
The Brockhaus Bilder-Conversations-Lexikon named disbelief in 1841 as:
“[…] In general, the tendency or the habit to only hold that to be true, of which one has gained conviction through sensory perception or inferences based on such perceptions. It is particularly important to speak of unbelief in a religious context, and then either the complete denial of the credibility of a certain religious doctrine, perhaps even the rejection of all religion, or even just individual articles of faith of a certain religion, such as B. the Christian dogma of original sin or of the devil understood by it. [...] Of these, in religious terms, the Mohammedans are preferably called unbelievers, who in turn also designate the Christians. "
In Pierer's Universal Lexikon 1864, unbelief was defined as follows from a Christian perspective:
“Unbelief, in general the renunciation of all religion in general (irreligion), but in particular the rejection of the main and Basic truths of Christianity. According to the teaching of the New Testament, the U. is the source of error and the sin , but he has the most injurious consequences by faith the condition of reconciliation with God u. the unbeliever therefore remains unreconciled. The theoretical Un is differentiated when it renounces the belief in a supersensible world , u. the practical un, which defines the relation of duty to God, etc. Christ denies; furthermore, it is called absolute when it relates to religious objects in general, and so on. relative if he denies certain religious statements. Accordingly, it appears now as atheism , now as fatalism , now as materialism [...], or it shows itself in its utterances as religious mockery and the like. Frivolity […]. Disbelief relates to individual facts about which people have unsolved doubts , and the like. is therefore only momentary, as it is new and certain evidence , like [...] with Thomas , disappears. "
In the Dictionary of Philosophical Basic Concepts by Kirchner and Miachäelis 1907, a further differentiation is made:
“Unbelief, the opposite of belief , is the way of thinking of recognizing nothing as true that one has not seen for oneself for objective reasons. This unbelief can be either historical, or religious, or philosophical. In all three cases, if it is total, it is unjustified because it is then nonsensical, if it is partial it is reasonable. Absolute historical and philosophical unbelief is called skepticism , religious irreligion or atheism. Partial philosophical disbelief, on the other hand, is called criticalism . From a denominational point of view, each denomination calls those who are not exactly attached to you an unbeliever. Kant (1724–1804) says from the standpoint of his ethical theology that he is unbelieving who denies all validity of the rational ideas (God, freedom, immortality ) because they lack theoretical justification. "
literature
- Peter Dinzelbacher : Disbelief in the “Age of Faith”: Atheism and Skepticism in the Middle Ages . Bachmann, Badenweiler 2009, ISBN 978-3-940523-01-3 .
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Apistie . In: Universal Lexicon of the Present and Past . 4., reworked. and strongly increased edition, Volume 1: A – Aufzwingen , self-published, Altenburg 1857, p. 602 .
- ↑ Disbelief . duden.de; accessed on October 14, 2014
- ↑ Disbelief. In: Digital dictionary of the German language . Retrieved November 24, 2019
- ↑ Infidēles . In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon . 6th edition. Volume 9, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1907, p. 823 .
- ↑ In partĭbus infidēlium . In: Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon . 6th edition. Volume 9, Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1907, pp. 854–855 .
- ↑ Disbelief . In: Brockhaus Bilder-Conversations-Lexikon . 1st edition. Volume 4, FA Brockhaus, Leipzig 1837–1841, p. 526 .
- ↑ Disbelief . In: Universal Lexicon of the Present and Past . 4., reworked. and greatly increased edition, Volume 18: Türkisches Reich – Wechsler , self-published, Altenburg 1864, p. 222 .
- ↑ Unbelief in zeno.org, accessed October 14, 2014