civil

English translation: non-religious, secular, earthly, material

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	civil
Selected answer:	non-religious, secular, earthly, material
Entered by:	Ana Juliá

09:58 Mar 13, 2004

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Art/Literary - Religion

English term or phrase: civil

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"?

Ana Juliá KudoZ activity Questions: 3922 (none open) (22 closed without grading) Answers: 1027 Spain
Local time: 05:31

non-religious

Explanation:
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.

Selected response from:

Armorel Young
Local time: 04:31

Grading comment

thanks!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +12

non-religious

Armorel Young

5 +5

secular

Christopher Crockett

4 +3

interaction with human beings

Sven Petersson

4 +1

earthly

George Rabel

State and/or secular

humbird

everyday life

RHELLER

of a community of citizens, their government or their interrelations

chica nueva

3 -1

social

Sonia Gomes

4 -3

polite and obliging

Pnina

Answers

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

interaction with human beings

Explanation:
My interpretation:

civil and spiritual business > interaction with human beings and God

Sven Petersson
Sweden
Local time: 05:31
Native speaker of:

Swedish,

English
PRO pts in category: 4

17 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +12

non-religious

Armorel Young
Local time: 04:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 51

Grading comment

thanks!

47 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -3

polite and obliging

Explanation:
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.

The Oxford Paperback Dictionary

Pnina
Israel
Local time: 06:31
Native speaker of:

Hebrew

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

social

Explanation:
Social, as maybe dealing with other people

Just a thought

Sonia

Sonia Gomes
Local time: 09:01
Native speaker of:

English,

Portuguese

3 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

earthly

Explanation:
Hola. Ana
Looks like you have the best option: "earthly vs spiritual"

George Rabel
Local time: 23:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 4

5 hrs confidence:

everyday life

Explanation:
the English here is quite poor so all of these responses might fit (more precise language leads us to more targeted vocabulary)

good luck

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 21:31
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 44

7 hrs confidence:

State and/or secular

Explanation:
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.

humbird
Native speaker of:

Japanese,

English

6 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

secular

Explanation:
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.

Christopher Crockett
Local time: 23:31
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

13 hrs confidence:

of a community of citizens, their government or their interrelations

Explanation:
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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary

chica nueva
Local time: 15:31
Works in field
Native speaker of: English

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