Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00033)

Replying to Tom

[Tom]
Somewhere in between ignoring the ideas of others, in effect reinventing
the wheel, and treating them as unquestioned truth, is the ideal.  It is
not wrong to have pre-conceived opinions, but it is wrong not to question
them.  It is impossible not to be dogmatic.     

[Murray in reply]
I like the balance inherent in this, but I would differ from your use of the
word "dogmatic".

In my experience, it certainly can have the positive elements you've
mentioned recently, but it is most often used for an attitude or way of
speaking that

1  is inflexible or rigid,

2  has lost its primary foundation in experience and relies more on
   tradition and authority, and

3  has an element of power-play in that it is imposed from "above" and
   you'd better believe or else.

A word that avoids these negativities but still carries the better side is
"doctrine", IMO.

Murray