Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
civil
English answer:
non-religious, secular, earthly, material
Added to glossary by
Ana Juliá
Mar 13, 2004 09:58
20 yrs ago
English term
civil
English
Art/Literary
Religion
We are taught to manage our civil and spiritual business with ease and safety, and to avoid everything that might encumber of ensnare us. Stumbling-bolcks lie before us in our journey through life, and they who have not a skilful guide often fall upon them to their hurt.
Do you think that "civil" here can be undestood as "earthly", "material"?
Do you think that "civil" here can be undestood as "earthly", "material"?
Responses
Responses
+12
17 mins
Selected
non-religious
is what it means in this context. It is the counterpart to spiritual in your sentence, so that "civil and spiritual business" means "all one's business".
The Oxford Dict. defines one of the senses of civil as "of ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or naval or ecclestical matters".
Your example is similar to the way civil is used in the term "civil marriage" which means a secular marriage ceremony (in the UK, one carried out at a registry office) as distinct from a religious ceremony held in a church.
The Oxford Dict. defines one of the senses of civil as "of ordinary citizens and their concerns, as distinct from military or naval or ecclestical matters".
Your example is similar to the way civil is used in the term "civil marriage" which means a secular marriage ceremony (in the UK, one carried out at a registry office) as distinct from a religious ceremony held in a church.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "thanks!"
+3
10 mins
Sven Petersson
Sweden
Sweden
Native in English
&
English
Sweden
Medical Translator
Native in: Swedish 
, English
Works in: English to Swedish, Danish to Swedish, German to Swedish, and 13 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
interaction with human beings
My interpretation:
civil and spiritual business > interaction with human beings and God
civil and spiritual business > interaction with human beings and God
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Heidi Stone-Schaller
42 mins
|
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Thank you very much!
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| agree |
Rajan Chopra
54 mins
|
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Thank you very much!
|
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| agree |
Mario Marcolin
: :)
2 hrs
|
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Thank you very much!
|
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| agree |
giogi
3 hrs
|
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Thank you very much!
|
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| neutral |
Scott Horne (X)
: secular
6 hrs
|
| disagree |
Refugio
: And yet much spiritual business involves interaction with human beings 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' (Matthew 25:34-40)
18 hrs
|
-3
47 mins
polite and obliging
This is one of the definitions of the adjective "civil". It means adhering to the norms of polite social communication and helping or gratifying by performing a small service.
Reference:
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Scott Horne (X)
: not in this context
6 hrs
|
| disagree |
humbird
: Yes that is one of the definition. But issue at hand is not politeness which is a mandane matter. We are talking in a context of religion.
6 hrs
|
| disagree |
Refugio
: Since civil is contrasted with spiritual, are you implying that spiritual business is uncivil (impolite)?
17 hrs
|
-1
1 hr
Sonia Gomes
Native in English
&
English
Concentrates on Pharma and Medicine
Native in: English , Portuguese
Works in: Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, English
social
Social, as maybe dealing with other people
Just a thought
Sonia
Just a thought
Sonia
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Scott Horne (X)
: no
5 hrs
|
|
why not
|
+1
3 hrs
George Rabel
Specializes in field
TRANSLATIONS THAT READ LIKE ORIGINALS
Native in: Spanish
Works in: English to Spanish, Spanish, Spanish to English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
4
earthly
Hola. Ana
Looks like you have the best option: "earthly vs spiritual"
Looks like you have the best option: "earthly vs spiritual"
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Scott Horne (X)
3 hrs
|
|
Thanks
|
5 hrs
everyday life
the English here is quite poor so all of these responses might fit (more precise language leads us to more targeted vocabulary)
good luck
good luck
Peer comment(s):
| neutral |
Scott Horne (X)
: not the best choice
1 hr
|
7 hrs
State and/or secular
Overall I agree with Christpher but it's not a whole story. When I think about it (as an American citizen) first thing comes to my mind is US Constitution's "Separation of religion and State". Here I am using "State" in this context. Then "civil" the asker brought up is a thing that is in opposite of religion or religous institution.
See following reference:
"3. You use civil to describe things that are connected with the state rather than with a religion ....i.e. Jewish civil and religious law.
-- Cobuild English-English Dictionary."
Religion was once the Government, then state government (civil power) took over its place in modern history. Think about it. Surely if you want simple answer, then "secular" is the one.
See following reference:
"3. You use civil to describe things that are connected with the state rather than with a religion ....i.e. Jewish civil and religious law.
-- Cobuild English-English Dictionary."
Religion was once the Government, then state government (civil power) took over its place in modern history. Think about it. Surely if you want simple answer, then "secular" is the one.
+5
6 hrs
Christopher Crockett
Native in English
&
English
Specializes in field
M.A., Ph.D. Historian/Art Historian
Native in: English
Works in: French to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
16
secular
The best antipode for "spirtual" here, in my opinon, is "secular" [< Lat. "saeculum" = "world"], as Armorel, Jonathan & Mario have noted in passing.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs 59 mins (2004-03-13 18:58:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The answer to your question, \"Do you think that \'civil\' here can be undestood as \'earthly\', \'material\'?\"
is \"Yes\"
Earthly/material/mundane/secular, as opposed to Religious/spiritual/transcendant.
Deconstructing, trying to get at the context :
\"We are taught...\"
by whatever \"spiritual\"/religious practice is at issue here...
\"to manage our civil...
just not a very good choice of words.
\"and spiritual business with ease and safety, and to avoid everything that might encumber of ensnare us.\"
The idea of the \"material\" world \"ensnaring\" human beings is common to almost all religious traditions, of course.
\"Stumbling-blocks lie before us in our journey through life...\"
Sounds rather Hindu/Buddhist, to me.
\"and they who have not a skilful guide often fall upon them to their hurt.\"
Likewise, the idea of a \"skillful guide\" [\"guru\"] is not an idea commonly found in the Western [Christian] exoteric tradition.
Do you think that \"civil\" here can be undestood as \"earthly\", \"material\"?
Yes.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 8 hrs 59 mins (2004-03-13 18:58:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The answer to your question, \"Do you think that \'civil\' here can be undestood as \'earthly\', \'material\'?\"
is \"Yes\"
Earthly/material/mundane/secular, as opposed to Religious/spiritual/transcendant.
Deconstructing, trying to get at the context :
\"We are taught...\"
by whatever \"spiritual\"/religious practice is at issue here...
\"to manage our civil...
just not a very good choice of words.
\"and spiritual business with ease and safety, and to avoid everything that might encumber of ensnare us.\"
The idea of the \"material\" world \"ensnaring\" human beings is common to almost all religious traditions, of course.
\"Stumbling-blocks lie before us in our journey through life...\"
Sounds rather Hindu/Buddhist, to me.
\"and they who have not a skilful guide often fall upon them to their hurt.\"
Likewise, the idea of a \"skillful guide\" [\"guru\"] is not an idea commonly found in the Western [Christian] exoteric tradition.
Do you think that \"civil\" here can be undestood as \"earthly\", \"material\"?
Yes.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Scott Horne (X)
: correct
35 mins
|
|
Thanks, Scott.
|
|
| agree |
danya
: it best fits the context, IMO
2 hrs
|
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Well, it *might*, if we knew anything about the context. Thanks, danya.
|
|
| agree |
Nado2002
6 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Nado.
|
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| agree |
hookmv
7 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Veronica. Wow, does your last name *really* have two umlauted "o"s, back to back? I don't think I've ever seen such a thing before.
|
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| agree |
Margaret Schroeder
: laico, mundano, material - - Matthew 22:21
7 hrs
|
|
Thanks, Good. Matt. 22:21, about Caesar's stuff vs. God's is the general idea, but our text is more about *joining* those two, than about seperating them, seems to me.
|
13 hrs
chica nueva
Native in English
&
English
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Works in: Chinese to English
of a community of citizens, their government or their interrelations
of a community of citizens, their government or their interrelations
compare:
1 render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's (civil) and unto God that which is God's (spiritual) (The Bible)
2 civil law and Church law
civil law = the body of law that an individual nation or state has established for itself
3 civil marriage and Church marriage
civil marriage = a marriage performed by a public official, not by a clergyman
=> I think the inference is that there are two realms, that of civil society (the business of a citizen and its obligations) and that of the Church.
compare:
1 render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's (civil) and unto God that which is God's (spiritual) (The Bible)
2 civil law and Church law
civil law = the body of law that an individual nation or state has established for itself
3 civil marriage and Church marriage
civil marriage = a marriage performed by a public official, not by a clergyman
=> I think the inference is that there are two realms, that of civil society (the business of a citizen and its obligations) and that of the Church.
Reference:
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