(andy) i was in a lecture about computer databases today, and noticed the word theoretical starts with the same element as theology. one means "a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; a belief that can guide behavior" (WordNet 1.6 online dictionary), the other simply meaning the study of God coming from theo- (meaning God) and -ology (meaning study of, as in biology). so why do the words have the same beginning implying a similar root or origin of words?

a theory is a concept that is not shown to be true but would explain an otherwise ununexplained result. does this work in the same way as theology, or more the point, God?
on one hand theology is not God, merely the study of God, and so should not nessecarily taken to be The Truth, and yet it is something that describes an aspect of God, but one that cannot be/ is not yet proven. it's looking at the Word of God, and with a mixture of experience and Gods revelation through the holy spirit, becomes a theology (although that belief itself is a theology of course as some people would say that God does not show things in that kind of way, that the Holy Spirit does not work in that way these days but God communicates to us by the Word alone).

(where was i?...)
so if a theology is a theory about God that cannot shown to be true (because that probably means you could prove God exists!) i guess it still only remains a theory and not a proven fact. not that i'm saying this is needed to believe it and is "a belief that can guide behavior" as that is what faith is, "being certain of what you hope for and sure of what you do not see", ie taking a theory to be true even if its not (yet?) verified.

and similarly, if a theory or theology is verified to be not true, can it therefore be taken to not be the explanation of that specific set of phenomena (as reworded from the dictionary definition)?, not to say the phenomena did not happen but that the theory is not the explanation for those phenomena.

so then, should a theology be shown to be true by verification for it to fully explain something of Gods character?
well no, in that that is what faith is as mentioned earlier - often the "stumbling block" of many scientists including myself until i was shown this.

but, if a theology says something is true, but can be verified to not be true, then it surely ceases to become a correct theory and hence true theology.

if you understood any of that, well done, and if you disagreed with the argument, please email me (at: moosh95@hotmail.com ) as to why.

of course the 2 words sharing the same element could all be coincidence and the theo of theology is completely unrelated to the theo of theory, and so forget all of the above.... but it did give a small insight into the way my mind thinks. now if i can only get my head around the meanings of for- in forgive, forget and forego...(!)