Controversies

thumb|A scene of Rabbi|rabbis in debate in [[Carl Schleicher's painting A controversy from the Talmud, 19th century]] Controversy (, ) is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction", and also means an exercise in rhetoric practiced in Rome. ==Legal== In the theory of law, a controversy differs from a legal case; while legal cases include all suits, criminal as well as civil, a controversy is a purely civil