# More Fun with WORDS - Calling a Catholic a Heathen - What's wrong with this picture? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 13, 2002, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355 "2002-04-13T01:36:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/21 "2002-04-13T16:04:56Z")
I was hoping to find out whether I am a pagan, a heathen or an heretic but at this point I like to think I am all of the above, and then some. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/22 "2002-04-13T16:15:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lemur866 \* > \*\*Eh, what always gets to me are the people who assert that Christianity and monotheism introduced patriarchy to the previously egalitarian pagans. I guess they never heard of Jupiter, or Zeus, or Thor, or the Iliad, or the Greek Plays, or the Icelandic Sagas, or the **all-male druids**. Whatever, dudes. \*\* Do you have any evidence to support this statement? Druidesses and powerful female figures (like Queen Maeve) are certainly present in Celtic culture, and Celtic women did have more rights than Roman women. It is, of course, incredibly foolish to imply that patriarchy started with Christianity. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/23 "2002-04-13T16:16:43Z")
My error, I meant to bold ā€œall male druidsā€ to ask for evidence, but of course, it was already bolded. Oy. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/24 "2002-04-13T16:25:13Z")
No, no, **Poly** -it isnā€™t HH Iā€™m talking about-look in the Racist is here to defend himself thread. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/25 "2002-04-13T17:39:49Z")
Thanks, **Guin** ā€¦ I think. After perusing that thread for about ten minutes, I now have a severe headache. My sincere apologies to **Happyheathen** ā€“ although, in peace, I would still like to know what exactly you intended to mean by the criticism of her and me I referred to. There are more than a few bizarre outcroppings of Christianity that consider that anybody who does not believe according as they do (which they construct to include the Founding Fathers, therefore making this ā€œa Christian nationā€ ā€“ as **they** define Christianity ā€“ is therefore doomed to Hell. This would of course include all Catholics, who worship Mary as a second God, believe in superstition (which they donā€™t), and fifteen other things that are demonstrably untrue. However, the mindset is one of invincible ignorance. I never opened that thread until now ā€“ on reflection, it was probably God guiding me towards self-preservation! šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2002, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/26 "2002-04-13T22:07:19Z")
Looks like HH is trying to set himself up as a pseudo-teacher for the masses again. ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/27 "2002-04-14T00:17:01Z")
Easy answer: If your beliefs are not identical to mine, you are: 1. an infidel 2. a heretic 3. Stay out of this Opel 4. an unbeliever 5. a heathen (as in ā€œconvert the heathen Chinee.ā€) In any case you are beneath contempt and you are going to be dead soon and for a long time unless you straighten up and fly right pretty damned quick. I may not be the Way, but the Way I follow is. For the sarcasm impaired, the foregoing is an example of that rhetorical form. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/28 "2002-04-14T02:29:13Z")
**Poly -** My criticism of your post re. Mr. John was that it seemed to contradict the (as I understand it) fundamental teaching of Christianity - ā€œLove thy Brotherā€. It seemed petty and mean-spirited. Considering your patient explanation of your faith, and devotion to it, I was saddened by it. OTOH, I suppose you get to take the occasional cheap shot, too. Guinā€™s was about the sixth of hers that evening in which she had used vulgar terminology. I thought it worth mentioning. **SPOOFE -** G-d forbid you should learn something ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/29 "2002-04-14T03:14:35Z")
And I explained why vulgarity doesnā€™t necessarily mean one is damned. Itā€™s all in the context. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/30 "2002-04-14T04:53:04Z")
> [@](#): > > **SPOOFE** - > > G-d forbid you should learn something Well, since the lesson for the day is in artificial distinctions only you have drawn between words, I think itā€™s safe to wager that itā€™s not a terribly important thing to learn from his perspective. And why has no one provided a link? Grrrā€¦ I hate when people do that. Actually, I loathe it. I use loathe and hate to mean different things. I think Iā€™m going to start a Pit thread to educate the rest of you on the difference between them. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/31 "2002-04-14T05:09:16Z")
Some of us already know the difference between ā€˜hateā€™ and ā€˜loatheā€™ - but PLEASE elucidate for the benefit of those of us who do not. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2002, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355/32 "2002-04-14T06:07:31Z")
According to [www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com), they are synonyms, but indicates that hate implies an emotional aversion, while loathe implies an utter disgust. In the context I was using them, they seem perfectly interchangeable, although loathe seems stronger due to showing an effort to use a less common word. Really, though, I was mocking you for being condescending in purporting to educate us in distinctions only _you_ have drawn between two words. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-fun-with-words-calling-a-catholic-a-heathen-whats-wrong-with-this-picture/103355.md?page=1)