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Apostasy
Apostasy (; ) is the formal religious disaffiliation, disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that is contrary to one's previous religious beliefs. One who undertakes apostasy is known as an apostate. Undertaking apostasy is called apostatizing (or apostasizing – also spelled apostacizing). The term ''apostasy'' is used by sociology, sociologists to mean the renunciation ''and'' criticism of, or opposition to, a person's former religion, in a technical sense, with no pejorative connotation. Occasionally, the term is also used metaphorically to refer to the renunciation of a non-religious belief or cause, such as a political party, social movement, or sports team. Apostasy is generally not a self-definition: few former believers call themselves apostates due to the term's negative connotation. Many religious groups and some states punish apostates; this may be the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Religious Disaffiliation
Religious disaffiliation is the act of leaving a faith, or a religion, religious group or community. It is in many respects the reverse of religious conversion. Several other terms are used for this process, though each of these terms may have slightly different meanings and connotations. Researchers employ a variety of often pejorative terms to describe disaffiliation, including defection, apostasy and disengagement. This is in contrast to excommunication, which is disaffiliation from a religious organization imposed Punishment, punitively on a member, rather than willfully undertaken by the member. If religious affiliation was a big part of a leaver's social life and identity, then leaving can be a wrenching experience, and some religious groups aggravate the process with hostile reactions and Shunning#In religion, shunning.McGuire, Meredith B. "Religion: the Social Context" fifth edition (2002) Chapter Three:the individual's religion, section disengagement Some people who were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
