Re: Believer Beware- Turf War

Steve Marshall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> >> I think it might be more productive to examine the differing
> >> perceptions of the thing attacked. My guess is that Jerry sees the
> >> Baha'i Faith as a monolithic entity - in which case an attack on one
> >> part of it can easily be perceived as an attack on the whole.
> >
> >Steve, a community is monolithic by definition since it describes all of 
> >the people within a group.   For example, the scientific community 
> >comprises a monolithic group of people, but they still have wildly 
> >different ideas, methods and beliefs.
> 

Nah - "the scientists" most certainly do not form a monolithic
grouping.

I don't believe you are getting the meaning of this term 
right, Janis

> Here's the definition from the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary.
> I'll leave others to comment on whether I've used the right word. In
> particular, check out definition no. 4:
> 
> 
> monolithic /mQn<schwa>"lITIk/ a.E19. [f. (as) prec. + -IC.]
> 
> 1 Formed of a single (large) block of stone; of the nature of a
> monolith. E19. 
> 

Single stone (lith) - the eytemology is clear!

> 2 Of, pertaining to, or characterized by monoliths. M19.
> 
> 3 Archit. Made of a solid unbroken mass (of concrete). L19.
> 
> 4 transf. & fig. Like a monolith; massive; immovable, unwavering,
> unemotional; solidly uniform; (of an organization) large and
> autocratic or monopolistic. E20.
> 

Now, the most common meaning - solidily uniform, I 
believe, was your original meaning.

> 5 Electronics. Of a solid-state circuit: composed of active and
> passive components formed in a single chip. M20.
> 

All the best,

Paul