Regardless of our personal feelings about the debate over gender-neutral or gender-inclusive vocabulary, that vocabulary is now a part of the fabric of our language. Once the scales have been lifted from our eyes, we cannot and should not replace them. Simply wishing for the world to be the way it was in the “old days” will not make it so.
We cannot and should not ignore calls for justice because they inconvenience us. We must acknowledge and respond, either positively or negatively. Inaction is not a real option. “Not to decide is to decide,” said Princeton theologian, Harvey Cox.
How do we cope with centuries of texts written before a time of gender sensitivity? First, try to avoid pronouns. “God created humankind in his image” can be replaced with “God created humankind in God’s image.” Grammatically, this may be a bit awkward, but it reflects a more faithful translation of the text than the English language affords with our limited pronouns.
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Joyce Larson says