Can we call babies "adorable"

[JosephJohn]

So I learned that adoration is reserved for God alone. It is roughly the act of worshiping through love and praise. However, adorable or to adore colloquially means “very cute” or “to love deeply”. Am I splitting hairs by deciding not to use these words for anyone but the members of the Blessed Trinity.

That is, should we not call babies adorable or confess that we adore our loved ones because that would be idolatrous under one definition of “to adore”?

 

[Katherine438]

Adoration of God and calling a baby adorable are two different things entirely.

 

[JulianN]

. Am I splitting hairs by deciding not to use these words for anyone but the members of the Blessed Trinity.

Yes, you are.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

Am I splitting hairs by deciding not to use these words for anyone but the members of the Blessed Trinity.

Yes, you are colossally splitting hairs/overthinking. In that context, everyone understands adorable to mean “cute.”

 

[on_the_hill]

This is like asking if it’s o.k. to call someone father.

 

[JosephJohn]

That’s a good analogy. Thanks people.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I don’t. But words change meanings, I mentioned on another post how the word worship has changed meaning.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

But words change meanings, I mentioned on another post how the word worship has changed meaning.

Or words can just have different meanings based on contexts. If someone says “she’s a huge fan of that band…basically worships them.” everyone understands that’s just a tongue in cheek colloquialism, not literally worship.

 

[1ke]

Am I splitting hairs by deciding not to use these words for anyone but the members of the Blessed Trinity.

More than splitting hairs. That’s way out there.

That is, should we not call babies adorable or confess that we adore our loved ones because that would be idolatrous under one definition of “to adore”?

Honestly if you think you need some counseling from your priest. Because, no.

 

[Bithynian]

adoration

Words typically have several definitions, sometimes with a specialised theological meaning that is only intended in particular contexts.

It reminds me an episode of Monk (TV detective show) where the indefatigable Mr. Monk, having lost his detective job, is being interviewed for a proofreader position at a general magazine. He tells the interviewer that he wrote down all the errors in their latest edition and pulled out a wad of notes that was thicker than the magazine. He emphasised one error in an article where the journalist wrote that “the building was decimated”: Mr Monk said this was incorrect because “decimate” means “to reduce by one tenth”.

 

[Dovekin]

in objective reality, independently of our mind, the bread and wine have ceased to exist after the consecration, so that the adorable body and blood of the Lord Jesus from that moment on are really before us under the sacramental species of bread and wine
Paul Vi. Profession of Faith (30 June 1968) 25. Emphasis added.

Always one of my favorite quotes.

 

[JulianN]

He emphasised one error in an article where the journalist wrote that “the building was decimated”: Mr Monk said this was incorrect because “decimate” means “to reduce by one tenth”

This is one of my pet peeves! People who use ‘decimate’ when they mean ‘totally destroy.’

 

[JulianN]

However, adorable or to adore colloquially means “very cute”

Since we’re dissecting multiple meanings of words, ‘cute’ is also a synonym for ‘sly,’ so perhaps best not to call the baby that either.