GRE Group: God and Religion

 1. Agnostic (n): one who is skeptical of the existence of a god or any ultimate reality
2. Atheist: a person who doesn’t believe in god or denies the existence of god
Theist: a person who believes in god
Monotheist: a person who believes in single god
Henotheist: a person who believes in single god but respect others as well
Buddhist are henotheist
Polytheist: believes in many gods e.g. Hindus
3. Blasphemy (n): Blasphemy (n): profane or sacrilegious talk about god or sacred things. Irreverence; sacrilege; cursing

4. Beatitude (n): blessedness; state of bless
5. Beatify (v): ( of the pope) to honor a dead person by stating officially that he/ she is specially holy; bless or sanctify; proclaim someone dead to be one of the blessed.
Use: beatification is the second and next to last step on the path to sainthood.
6. Canonize: to declare saint
Analogy: CANONIZE: SAINT:: humanize: scholar
7. Catechism: a religious book containing question and answer
book for religious instrument; instruction by question and answer
8. Desecrate (v): profane; violate the sanctity of
9. Devout (adj): pious
Use: the devout man prayed daily
10. Heathen: non religious
11. Idolatry: worshipping idols
12. Idolatrous: highly devoted to god
Analogy: SUSPICIOUS: PARANOID:: admiring: idolatrous
: ZEALOUS: ENTHUSIASTIC:: idolatrous: devoted
13. Nirvana (n): in Buddhist teachings, the ideal state in which the individual loses himself in the attainment of an impersonal beatitude
Use: the yogi’s goal is to achieve nirvana through among other things, the overcoming of carnal desires
14. Pagan: a person who does not follow any religion
Must of the Chinese are pagans
15. Pious (adj): devout; religious
16. Profane (adj): violate; desecrate; treat unworthily
17. Sacrilegious (adj): desecrating; profane
Mnemonic: sacrilegious can be spilt as SAC(k)+ RILIGIOUS (religious) beliefs. So one who sacks religious beliefs will commit profane acts. so sacrilegious person lacks piety
Analogy: APOCRYPHAL: CORROBORATION:: sacrilegious: piety (Lack of )
18. Theocracy: ruled by religious leaders
19.Tonsure (n): an act of shaving a monk’s or priest’s head as a preparation for entering a religious order