"C"reationists or "c"reationists

[USincognito]

Chaoschristian and I happened upon a clash of etymology while, ironically, trying to get people to use more precise language. I'm starting this poll thread to see if there's any interest in generally - much like the dicstionary vs. say, vocational use of words. In this case it's a simple matter of which should refer to YECs/Creation Scientists - a capital C or a lower case c.

I use capital C for YECs, etc., and lower case c for people who believe in any sort of creationism because one I consider an appellation, the other a noun. Chaoschristian can present his own reasons for why he thinks the opposite below.

Please explain your choice after you vote - thanks.

 

[GoSeminoles!]

Neither. The correct term is LCW -- Lying Creationist Weasel.

 

[NamesAreHardToPick]

Creationists: I pretty capitalize every group name, even though sometimes I forget. I have this habit of capitalizing nouns like that, with the exception of my own name which is never capitalized.

 

[AnEmpiricalAgnostic]

“C”reationists. There should be something to differentiate those that believe in the magic “poof” creationism of everything “as is” vs. the idea that their god is first cause and everything found in nature is simply evidence of how. I think that every theist is technically a creationist. It takes a “special” breed to forego observed reality in favor of magic. This breed needs some special way to address it so that the more reasonable creationists don’t catch unintentional flak.

 

[Battie]

I chose lowercase c because I usually operate by the rule that unless the term is derived from a proper noun (Christians, Buddhists, and so on), then it's usually not capitalized.

But then as soon as I voted I thought of a bunch of words that break that rule, so now I just don't know.

Edit: Well, I was very wrong in my explanation:

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0771333.html

But after reading all that, I'm still not sure it should be capitalized.

 

[AirPo]

C is for cookie, that's good enought for me.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Upper 'C', because creationist is generic and Creationist would be a title, a specific.

 

[chaoschristian]

I have been attempting to consistently use the following forms when posting about the cre/vo debate here on CF:

1. Creation - capital 'C' - refers to the specific and proper concept of life the universe and everything as created by God. All Christians accept that there is a Creation.

2. Creationism/ist - capital 'C' - refers to the common belief held by all Christians - that God created life, the universe and everything. Regardless of a Christian's POV on origins, all Christians are Creationists. It a fundemental element of the faith.

3. creationism/ist - lower case 'c' - refers to the specific, but minority, pov that Genesis provides an historically and scientifically accurate and indicative account of how God created life, the universe and everthing.

4. neo-creationism/ist - lower case 'c' - refers to the specific post-modern and ultra-materialistic pov that the Genesis account can be proven scientifically.

The obvious subtext to this is I'm unwilling to concede to capitalizing as a proper noun the name of a pov on origins that I believe is theologically untenable, scientifically destructive, and populated by PRATT-lers.

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

I'll call them anything they want if they will go away.

 

[Silvertongue]

Hmm...I've always used "C" in discussions such as these. Perhaps that began from me always capitalizing "Creation," when I was referring to the religious belief that a deity created everything. I think the only time I'd use "creationist" is if I was just referring to the belief that everything began somehow, somewhere, at sometime. We're all "creationists" in that sense, though, so the term is rather useless. I'm just so used to capitalizing words like Christian, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, etc. It just seems proper to me, when discussing a religious belief like that. In much the same vein, I capitalize "Resurrection," Heaven/Hell," "The Parting of the Red Sea," and so on.

Certainly for people with extremely well-defined belief structures such as YEC I think "Creationist" is appropriate.

 

[DailyBlessings]

Chaoschristian and I happened upon a clash of etymology while, ironically, trying to get people to use more precise language. I'm starting this poll thread to see if there's any interest in generally - much like the dicstionary vs. say, vocational use of words. In this case it's a simple matter of which should refer to YECs/Creation Scientists - a capital C or a lower case c.

I simply try to avoid using (C/c)reationist to describe those various movements- I think it perpetuates the idea that supposed "TE"s like myself don't believe in a Creation. If I have to refer to them as a group I generally use the term "Biblical literalist".

 

[StainedClassKing]

When I use the term 'creationist,' I'm referring specifically to the group of boneheads that actually believe that genesis is literally correct.

If someone believes in god, but accept the ToE, then I don't see why they would need to call themselves a "Creationist" or 'creationist.' They can just say that they believe in god. Since their view of human origins do not significantly differ from nontheist in this area, their is no need for them to distinguish themselves in any particular way.

I don't really think it's necesarry to capitalize it.

 

[Mocca]

I voted creationist. Mainly because I don't capitalize creation or creation science (rofl). But often I use Creationists by impulse - I have some weird Capitalize Everything Impulse.

 

[USincognito]

I still haven't voted yet because I'm mulling over some of the comments that have been offered, but I'm still inclined to capitalize the appellation vs. the noun. I guess another way would be to use YEC each time I want to be specific.

 

[ThePenguinMafia]

cretinists.

 

[USincognito]

I still haven't voted yet, but because of something I read in another thread I'm regretting not adding "LCWs" as an option thanks to Karl-Liberal Backslider.