Reply #6: Religious People Are NOT "Sophisticated"

[Demeter]

so·phis·ti·cat·ed (s-fst-ktd)

adj.

1. Having acquired worldly knowledge or refinement; lacking natural simplicity or naiveté.
2. Very complex or complicated: the latest and most sophisticated technology.
3. Suitable for or appealing to the tastes of sophisticates: a sophisticated drama.



Main Entry: so·phis·ti·cat·ed
Pronunciation: \-tə-ˌkā-təd\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin sophisticatus
Date: 1601

1 : deprived of native or original simplicity: as a : highly complicated or developed : complex <sophisticated electronic devices> b : having a refined knowledge of the ways of the world cultivated especially through wide experience <a sophisticated lady>
2 : devoid of grossness: as a : finely experienced and aware <a sophisticated columnist> b : intellectually appealing <a sophisticated novel>

— so·phis·ti·cat·ed·ly adverb
synonyms sophisticated, worldly-wise, blasé mean experienced in the ways of the world. sophisticated often implies refinement, urbanity, cleverness, and cultivation <guests at her salon were usually rich and sophisticated>. worldly-wise suggests a close and practical knowledge of the affairs and manners of society and an inclination toward materialism <a worldly-wise woman with a philosophy of personal independence>. blasé implies a lack of responsiveness to common joys as a result of a real or affected surfeit of experience and cultivation <blasé travelers who claimed to have been everywhere>.

In fact, one could say that "religious" and "sophisticated" are antonyms.

The only "sophisticated" people in the God business are those that exploit their followers successfully--that is, they aren't burned at the stake outright, but manage to coax "donations" out of their flocks of "sheep".