Heresy is a strong word with strong associations. In modern popular usage the word connotes crimes against the church-normally the Catholic Church- and smells strongly of witch trials and the Spanish Inquisition.
But where did the word come from and what meaning lies at the core of this word's family history?
Heresy comes from the Greek verb meaning: to choose.
Church and state were inseparable for centuries in Europe and are still inseparable in many countries, and there are strong elements in many first world countries that would love church and state to once again merge. The idea that choice is a crime, and indeed the highest crime imaginable in such governments, says a great about how modern domestic culture works and where said culture's fear can be found.
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