Why has "Heathen" become such an ugly word?

[Augustus]

The notion that Christianity had anything to do with the end of slavery is preposterous. Correlation is not necessarily causation. The industrial revolution was the catalyst,

The Industrial Revolution had a massive impact on the decline of slavery in the Roman Empire and medieval Europe, massive.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam

Why is the word heathen associated with laziness, filthiness, Demons, lack of self-discipline, human sacrifice, lack of virtue, immoral Passions, sexual depravity, drunkeness, and other forms of immorality, immaturity, and irresponsible living?

The word have this meaning only to those who see it as such.

Here I only see people proud to call themselves heathens and walking their own reclaimed path. It's not filthy, depraved or whatever.
They are honorable.

 

[lukethethird]

Why is the word heathen associated with laziness, filthiness, Demons, lack of self-discipline, human sacrifice, lack of virtue, immoral Passions, sexual depravity, drunkeness, and other forms of immorality, immaturity, and irresponsible living?

The sexual depravity makes up for all the other traits, in other words, would be proud and flattered to be viewed as a heathen.

 

[Valjean]

The notion that Christianity had anything to do with the end of slavery is preposterous. Correlation is not necessarily causation. The industrial revolution was the catalyst, Christians fought Christians to end slavery due to the continuation of slavery upheld by Christianity in the U.S. long after the onset of the industrial revolution.

Christian doctrine was cited by both sides. I think the issue comes down to moral development, and how broadly that consideration is extended.

 

[Valjean]

The sexual depravity makes up for all the other traits, in other words, would be proud and flattered to be viewed as a heathen.

Sexual depravity? What constitutes sexual depravity, and what does it have to do with morality?

 

[lukethethird]

Sexual depravity? What constitutes sexual depravity, and what does it have to do with morality?

I have no idea what constitutes sexual depravity nor what it has to do with morality but if it's part of heathenism then I don't want to be left out.

 

[Valjean]

OK, but what, then, is heathenism? I see it as heterodoxy; diversion from a cultural norm.
Heathenism isn't a thing in itself, it's just infidelity to a contesting norm.

 

[Augustus]

Christian doctrine was cited by both sides. I think the issue comes down to moral development, and how broadly that consideration is extended.

It is more important to look at what motivated the abolitionists though, not the slaveholders.

The single most important event in the process towards ending of slavery was the British ban on the slave trade, and this was the result of what was very much a religious movement. It wasn't simple 'people who happened to be Christian', but people specifically motivated by religious fervour: Quakers and Evangelical Anglicans.

Anthony Benezet’s propaganda campaign had its most pronounced impact in Great Britain. Nowhere else among the major slave-trading powers did a popular, public campaign against the traders emerge. That this campaign crystallized in Britain at the close of the eighteenth century might seem odd at first glance. In the second half of the eighteenth century, British merchants were the leading slave traders in the Atlantic world. There were good commercial and political reasons to favour a continuation of the trade.

Antislavery sentiments, moreover, did not always lead to antislavery commitments. That seems to be one lesson that arises from the history of antislavery thought in France, where there was a critique of the trade’s inhumanity but only the most minimal attempt to address it (Seeber, 1937; Miller, 2008).

It would be a mistake also to attribute the new antislavery campaigns to the cultural consequences of merchant capitalism, as the historian Thomas Haskell once proposed, given the complete absence of abolitionist organizing in the Netherlands, where merchant capitalism was strong (Bender, 1992).

A number of historians have detailed how the first British abolition campaign came to fruition in the 1780s – the Quaker petition to the House of Commons calling for abolition, the alliance between Quakers and Evangelicals that culminated in the formation of the London Committee for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1787, and the series of investigations and debates in parliament that raised and then thwarted hopes before the somewhat sudden achievement of abolition in 1807 (Anstey, 1975; Oldfield, 1995; Jennings, 1997).

Only recently, however, has the prior transition from antislavery thought to antislavery action received close scrutiny. The formation of antislavery commitments in the British Isles during the 1780s depended in part upon the changing politics of empire that attended the expansion of British dominions after the Seven Years’ War and the loss of 13 North American colonies in the American Revolution.

A new concern developed in this period that imperial practices needed to be assessed against the standards of virtue and liberty. Among Quakers in England, and among aspiring young reformers within the Church of England, Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce most notably, turning the nation against the Atlantic slave trade looked to be one way to improve the moral character of overseas enterprise and to foster a greater commitment to religion at home (Brown, 2006: pt III, IV).”
Heuman, G, Burnard, T. - The Routledge History of Slavery


The Clapham Sect or Clapham Saints were a group of Church of England social reformers based in Clapham, London, at the beginning of the 19th century (active 1780s–1840s).

The members of the Clapham group were chiefly prominent and wealthy evangelical Anglicans who shared common political and social views concerning the liberation of slaves,[1] the abolition of the slave trade and the reform of the penal system, amongst other issues, and who worked laboriously towards these ends over many years, motivated by their Christian faith and concern for social justice and fairness for all.

Clapham Sect - Wikipedia

 

[sojourner]

Why is the word heathen associated with laziness, filthiness, Demons, lack of self-discipline, human sacrifice, lack of virtue, immoral Passions, sexual depravity, drunkeness, and other forms of immorality, immaturity, and irresponsible living?

It's a Christian entitlement umbrella term of bigotry. Real Heathens (those who practice Heathenry) are, in my experience, more ethical, open, and non-judgmental than many Christians.

 

[sojourner]

OK, but what, then, is heathenism? I see it as heterodoxy; diversion from a cultural norm.
Heathenism isn't a thing in itself, it's just infidelity to a contesting norm.

The correct term is Heathenry. Heathens worship the Norse and possibly Celtic pantheons.

 

[Valjean]

The correct term is Heathenry. Heathens worship the Norse and possibly Celtic pantheons.

Definition of heathenism | Dictionary.com
Definition of HEATHENISM (note "heathendom" and "Heathenism." No "Heathenry" mentioned.)

In literature and common parlance, heathenism usually refers to anything notably heterodox.

Apparently "Heathenry" is a recently invented "new religion." Heathenry (new religious movement) - Wikipedia
My spell-check apparently hasn't heard of "heathenry" yet." It's underlined with a red squiggle.

 

[sojourner]

Definition of heathenism | Dictionary.com
Definition of HEATHENISM (note "heathendom" and "Heathenism." No "Heathenry" mentioned.)

In literature and common parlance, heathenism usually refers to anything notably heterodox.

Apparently "Heathenry" is a recently invented "new religion." Heathenry (new religious movement) - Wikipedia
My spell-check apparently hasn't heard of "heathenry" yet." It's underlined with a red squiggle.

I knew a number of Heathens over 25 years ago. It's been around quite a while, because they weren't new at this.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

My spell-check apparently hasn't heard of "heathenry" yet." It's underlined with a red squiggle.

The Oxford English Dictionary records it from the 16th century. You obviously need an update!

 

[Rival]

It is more important to look at what motivated the abolitionists though, not the slaveholders.

The single most important event in the process towards ending of slavery was the British ban on the slave trade, and this was the result of what was very much a religious movement. It wasn't simple 'people who happened to be Christian', but people specifically motivated by religious fervour: Quakers and Evangelical Anglicans.

Anthony Benezet’s propaganda campaign had its most pronounced impact in Great Britain. Nowhere else among the major slave-trading powers did a popular, public campaign against the traders emerge. That this campaign crystallized in Britain at the close of the eighteenth century might seem odd at first glance. In the second half of the eighteenth century, British merchants were the leading slave traders in the Atlantic world. There were good commercial and political reasons to favour a continuation of the trade.

Antislavery sentiments, moreover, did not always lead to antislavery commitments. That seems to be one lesson that arises from the history of antislavery thought in France, where there was a critique of the trade’s inhumanity but only the most minimal attempt to address it (Seeber, 1937; Miller, 2008).

It would be a mistake also to attribute the new antislavery campaigns to the cultural consequences of merchant capitalism, as the historian Thomas Haskell once proposed, given the complete absence of abolitionist organizing in the Netherlands, where merchant capitalism was strong (Bender, 1992).

A number of historians have detailed how the first British abolition campaign came to fruition in the 1780s – the Quaker petition to the House of Commons calling for abolition, the alliance between Quakers and Evangelicals that culminated in the formation of the London Committee for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade in 1787, and the series of investigations and debates in parliament that raised and then thwarted hopes before the somewhat sudden achievement of abolition in 1807 (Anstey, 1975; Oldfield, 1995; Jennings, 1997).

Only recently, however, has the prior transition from antislavery thought to antislavery action received close scrutiny. The formation of antislavery commitments in the British Isles during the 1780s depended in part upon the changing politics of empire that attended the expansion of British dominions after the Seven Years’ War and the loss of 13 North American colonies in the American Revolution.

A new concern developed in this period that imperial practices needed to be assessed against the standards of virtue and liberty. Among Quakers in England, and among aspiring young reformers within the Church of England, Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce most notably, turning the nation against the Atlantic slave trade looked to be one way to improve the moral character of overseas enterprise and to foster a greater commitment to religion at home (Brown, 2006: pt III, IV).”
Heuman, G, Burnard, T. - The Routledge History of Slavery


The Clapham Sect or Clapham Saints were a group of Church of England social reformers based in Clapham, London, at the beginning of the 19th century (active 1780s–1840s).

The members of the Clapham group were chiefly prominent and wealthy evangelical Anglicans who shared common political and social views concerning the liberation of slaves,[1] the abolition of the slave trade and the reform of the penal system, amongst other issues, and who worked laboriously towards these ends over many years, motivated by their Christian faith and concern for social justice and fairness for all.

Clapham Sect - Wikipedia

This is really informative; thank you for posting this.

 

[Valjean]

The Oxford English Dictionary records it from the 16th century. You obviously need an update!

I tried googling the OED, but it's a paysite, and everything ever uttered is in it, including archaic and rarely used expressions.

 

[MonkeyFire]

I kinda just always thought that's what people mean when they use that word.

 

[Augustus]

I tried googling the OED, but it's a paysite, and everything ever uttered is in it, including archaic and rarely used expressions.

 

[Valjean]

View attachment 37040

Thanks, Augustus.
The OED also records "Irishry" (see above) and thousands of other words no longer in the current vernacular. If we're discussing ugly words, I'd assume we're talking about current current meanings and usage.