Devil's Advocate / RCC

by compound complex 9 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  compound complex

  Devil's Advocate. In the Roman Catholic Church, where the term had its origin, "the devil's advocate" is one appointed to present the arguments against a proposed canonization as a saint. He is, indeed, therefore, as Fowler insists, "the blackener of the good" rather than "the whitewasher of the wicked." None the less the general public, lamentably ignorant of holiness in all its ways and forms, uses the phrase to mean the advocate of a bad cause or one who injures a cause by his advocacy of it, and has so used it so long that these meanings must be accepted as standard.

  A Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage, by Bergen Evans and Cornelia Evans, p.133

  Compound-Complex
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  Jeffro

  Devil's Advocate. In the Roman Catholic Church, where the term had its origin, "the devil's advocate" is one appointed to present the arguments against a proposed canonization as a saint. He is, indeed, therefore, as Fowler insists, "the blackener of the good" rather than "the whitewasher of the wicked." None the less the general public, lamentably ignorant of holiness in all its ways and forms, uses the phrase to mean the advocate of a bad cause or one who injures a cause by his advocacy of it, and has so used it so long that these meanings must be accepted as standard.

  Weird. I wasn't specifically aware of the RCC etymology of the term. But I have always used the phrase in the sense of highlighting negative aspects of a person or thing that may at first appear positive.

  "Lamentably ignorant of holiness in all its ways and forms" - this sounds like something written by pious self-obsessed religionists rather than authors of a standard dictionary.
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  Pahpa

  C.C.

  Interesting etymology. I didn't realize the origin of this expression. But I think today the common use of the word is as found in the dictionary: "A person who opposes an argument with which he does not necessarily disagree, as to determine its validity." The American Heritage Dictionary.
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  compound complex

  Hey Jeffro,

  At first reading, the arrogant tone seems outrageous. If confined to a single entry such as this one, one would rightly draw such a conclusion. This dictionary, however, is the most hilarious lampoon of pompous academics. Erudition best be genuine or it will be skewered. The tongue-in-cheek sarcasm is rife, yet this remains an extremely well-referenced and accurate measuring stick for just the right word or expression when the "accepted" substitute will not do. This work ranks with Erma Bombeck for hilarity, but it's subtle. It's the most cleverly-written educational tool one could possess. That's simply something one would not expect from a dictionary.

  Thanx for your thoughts; they are appreciated.

  An Advocate of Right-Writing,

  Compound-Complex
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  Amazing

  Compound,

  I was raised RCC, but was not aware of the term. The more contemporary usage is not necessarily about highlighting the negative of a position, but merely representing the opposing position. Thanks for the piece of history.

  Jim Whitney
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  compound complex

  Dear Friends,

  Thank you for your comments. This dictionary was published in 1957, and certainly alterations-"new light"-in our extraordinary language have occurred. Kindly note the reiteration of the concluding words of the quotation from "Devil's Advocate"; the original meaning, long forgotten, has been replaced with a different meaning that has been

  "so used so long that these meanings MUST BE ACCEPTED AS STANDARD."

  This work seeks to note differences between formal and informal English (distinguishing between American and British usage) and to explain what has become accepted through long and determined usage, BECOMING standard English.

  Lexicographically yours,

  Compound-Complex
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  Narkissos

  Correct. We also have the same figurative use of the expression (l'avocat du diable) in French.

  Interestingly the original meaning of the expression is very close to the earlier use of satan in Hebrew, as Yhwh's "witness for the prosecution," highlighting the possible dark side of a "good" character like Job (1--2) or the high priest Joshua (Zechariah 3).
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  Clam

  I was looking this phrase up some time ago and noted that the advocatus diaboli was an actual title of office up until the 1980s when the position was abolished. What a great job title I remember thinking. "What do you do?" "I'm the Devil's Advocate at the Vatican." Cool or what?
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  compound complex

  Thank you, Guys,

  Narkissos, l'expression francaise "l'avocat du diable"; excellent points.

  Clam, yeah, advocatus diaboli, hired by the Church! Is way too cool!

  Je vous en remercie! Thank you!

  CoCo
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  compound complex

  The Third Miracle, with Ed Harris

  The remainder of the film is still more of what you would expect. The courtroom-type drama of the Vatican tribunal sent to hear Helen's case is rather run of the mill. Frank, having become a believer in the miracles attributed to Helen, pleads her case to Archbishop Werner (Armin Mueller-Stahl), the "devil's advocate" who, despite (or maybe because of?) his high rank in the Church, refuses to advocate Helen's cause and flatly disavows the miracles. Authority versus subordinate, believer versus skeptic: either way, the conflict couldn't be more ordinary.