Lance wrote: > What is your understanding of semantic? The word "semantic" refers to the meaning of words. Sometimes a person might say the same thing but use different words. For example, someone might say, "that was really Great!" Another person might say, "No, that was really Excellent!" They both might be trying to communicate identical concepts, but the words they use are different and might have different meanings for each of them.
Lance wrote: > What is your understanding of syntax? The word "syntax" refers to how words are organized and arranged into phrases and sentences to communicate an idea. Lance wrote: > How can a difference be more than semantic? Easy. Sometimes people really mean to communicate something different. For example, if I was to describe gravity as a force between objects that have mass, that would be different than describing gravity as a path in space which objects tend to follow. This difference is what lies at the heart of Newtonian physics versus Einsteinian physics. According to the Newtonian viewpoint, light would not be effected by gravity because it has no mass. On the other hand, Einstein's model predicts that gravity effects light too. In regards to theology, some might talk about righteousness as a legal standing with God, whereas someone else might see righteousness as being more than that, as indicating a virtue within the heart of man. The latter concept sees righteousness as a thing having existence within man, whereas the former sees righteousness as something external to man, something which only effects God's view of man regardless of man's actual state of being. In this case, there is a semantic component of defining the word "righteousness" but there is more than that. There is an actual difference in perspective of the truth being discussed. There is a difference in the actual apprehension of reality and not just in what words are used to communicate that understanding. If I were to say that an argument is primarily semantic, it would mean that the persons discussing the subject perceive the actual truth in the same way, but they differ in the words they use to describe that truth. If an argument is more than just semantics, then it means that the opposing viewpoints substantially differ in their actual comprehension of the truth and not just in what words they choose to use to convey that understanding. Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
