Definition Criteria

serious literature: When defining this term I would first examine what is meant by "serious". To one person serious literature might a work with a subject matter that would not be appropriate for all ages, while to another it might be a work that has received a Nobel Prize in literature.

hate crime: Is the action really a crime, or is it a legal expression protected by a citizen's right to expression. What makes the "crime" hateful? Is it hate because it is a passionate dislike, or is it a strong opposing opinion?

royal family: Royal because of how they are portrayed by the media, royal because of how they act, royal because of the way the public sees them, royal because of the way the rest of the world sees them...?

journalists: What exactly is the job of a journalist? Must a journalist stay neutral and unbiased? Is it important that a journalist actually does reflect his/her views?

big businesses: What is meant by big? How big is big and how does it differ from small? What exactly makes a business? Is my little cousin's lemonade stand down the street a business? There are money transactions involved...

civil disobedience: What is civil? Can setting an old abandoned building on fire be considered civil if no one is hurt physically, monetarily, etc? Is it really disobedience, or a different interpretation of the law?

religion: Do one or more gods have to be involved? Can religion be specified by disbelief as well as belief?

free speech: Is "speech" interpreted literally, as a spoken form of communication? To what extent will "free speech" be accepted before deemed illegal through other criteria?

state: Is state meant as a legally identified area that has met certain criteria and gone through specific processes? Is "state" used more freely for certain areas due to specific circumstances?

marriage: Is marriage referred to in the legal sense, as a contract between two individuals, or is it referred to as a relationship status symbolized by love and commitment between two (or more) individuals?

These are some of the criteria I would take into consideration when analyzing these various controversial terms. The definitions could vary slightly depending on the context in which the term is used.