Discussion»Questions»Religion and Spirituality» In an effort to "crack down on" gendered language the Church of Sweden has asked the clergy to stop calling God "he" or "the lord". Good?
I was FLOORED when I read it m2c! It's beyond riddikilus. But it's a welcome diversion from the usual stuff we discuss so for that alone it served its purpose. So they don't talk about "the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" I guess. A genderless neutral entity. I wonder whose bright idea that was? Thank you for your reply. SIGH. :)
Another great example of political correctness and gender exploitation taking precedence over who God is, what He's all about and what it means to all of us here. Looks like another effort to dictate our terms to the Almighty.
Anyone with any understanding knows that God created gender but transcends it because God is All in All. So a pretty sad attempt to remake God in our own image. But probably inevitable the way so many people think these days. Clutching at straws and bickering over trivia and thus missing the grand and beautiful and saving greater concepts.
When I read it it knocked my socks off figuratively. I don't recall reading anything quite so absurd as that. At least no one was attacked/insulted/harmed. No one died. No blood shed. Thank you for your reply officegirl and Happy Sunday! :)
The Church of Sweden is headed by Archbishop Antje Jackelen, who was elected Sweden's first female archbishop in 2013.
Archbishop Jackelen defended the decision, telling Sweden's TT news agency: "Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human."
(Internet)
******* One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
And He said to them, "When you pray say: 'Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come."
(Luke 11:1-2 & more of "the Lords prayer in 11-3-4)
There are a whole lot of stupid men around, but occasionally---as I think in this case---a woman outdoes us.
This post was edited by tom jackson at November 26, 2017 1:57 PM MST
I couldn't believe it when I read it tom! I mean this takes P.C. to a level of absurdity I could not have imagined. What happens to "the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit"? We have the Virgin Mary and then a non-gender "other"? It boggles the mind. SIGH. But at least it is a diversion/distraction/redirection of our attention temporarily. No one died. Nothing bloody or harmful. No one was insulted or attacked. Just a change in "approach". I wonder what will be next that we can chat about to divert us? Thank you for your comprehensive reply to my question. It was very informative as usual for which I thank thee! :)
Although GOD is a Spirit and not human, the Bible "clearly" refers to GOD as He and LORD.That is the way GOD intended for it to written. Is it good that the Church of Sweden is trying to change this? No, it isn't. If they try to pull their politically correct tripe in a case like this, they will be guilty of a flagrant attack on the Word of GOD. A little change here and a little change there usually ends becoming a lot of changes everywhere. Bad move on the Church of Sweden's part.
Q "In an effort to "crack down on" gendered language the Church of Sweden has asked the clergy to stop calling God "he" or "the lord". Good? They will use gender-neutral language during services. Whatcha think?"
There are two main problems:
1. Whereas English has a neutral gender, Swedish, like several other languages, does not. Languages do evolve with need, however, some changes are too much for purists. For example, according to a report dated 7 Oct 2017 "A new gender-neutral version of the French language has caused anger among purists. A member of the prestigious Académie Française has hit back at the adaption, which looks to reduce the masculine domination of grammatical gender. The French Academy is France's 400-year-old voice of authority..."
2. Writers of the Bible, believed to have been inspired by God, have gone out of their way to make sure that God is masculine. God is a He, never a She, the Father, never Mother, and it was Man [Adam], not Woman [Eve] who was made in the image of God. Furthermore, God had a Son, not a Daughter, and even for this divine Son He, God, did not have a divine Mother, choosing a human mother instead. So, divinity in Christianity must have a gender and it is most deliberately, emphatically and unmistakable masculine.
my2cents 