What’s The Big Fuss
About?
Sexist language has become a large controversy over the years. It really stems from the feminist revolution. I do agree with some points, but I will NEVER agree with changing the Bible to suit feminist’s protests. I have read three essays titled “The Non-Sexist Assault On Language, Or, A Memorandum To The National Council Of Teachers Of English” by Robert L. Spaeth, “In Defense Of Gender” by Cyra McFadden, and “O God, Our [Mother and] Father” by Richard Ostling. All of which basically have the same feelings I do.
Robert
L. Spaeth writes in “The Non-sexist Assault On Language, Or,
A Memorandum To The National Council Of Teachers Of English”
that he received a booklet entitled “Guidelines for
Nonsexist Use of Language”(Spaeth 405). This booklet went to
some of the major educators of language. “The
Non-sexist Assault On Language, Or, A Memorandum To The National
Council Of Teachers Of English” is his response to that.
After receiving this booklet, he now is afraid that a change will
come along that will butcher our language (Spaeth 404). I
would have to agree.
If
we let these people do what they wish and fictional writers start
writing like that, then people will not enjoy reading at all.
They will be reading and get lost in all the PC phrases. It
isn’t fun anymore when you have to unnecessary wording—this
wording that is really
just to suit feminist. Not many people read anyway, and
this will not help in any way. Replacing he with he/she is
just so clumsy, making you want to put it down from the first
he/she you run into. I am sure if these feminists would sit
and read an essay full of PC (politically correct) language, even
they would become annoyed. Every grammar student
understands that he, when used plural, can be male and female and
not just male.
When
talking about a person whom you are not sure of their gender he
is used. Maybe it would be better to use he/she for that.
If this is really such a big issue we can make up a genderless
pronoun. We make up words all the time. Maybe we
could do the parenthesis thing: (s)he. Perhaps we could
just indicate we do not know the gender in a footnote. There
are many ways to handle that one.
Using words like “persons” and “he/she” takes away the joy of reading and makes it difficult to stay focused. Especially trying to listen to someone speak these out throughout a speech is quite annoying. In “In Defense Of Gender,” McFadden describes a woman giving a speech filled with he-slash-she (McFadden 408, 409). Wouldn’t that be hard to follow?
The other two essays have been sarcastic and a bit quirky. “O God, Our [Mother and] Father” by Richard Ostling is more serious. I agree with the essay, but the fact that we HAVE to protect the Bible from the non-sexist language bashing makes my blood boil.. It upsets me that we have to preserve the fact that God is not male AND female. It upsets me that we have to protect the Bible from becoming a clumsy reading filled with he/she’s and such—where it wont be as enjoyable to read. God said to know Him we
must read His Word. Putting PC language in the Bible will not only make it less read but misunderstood. It don’t suppose it takes away from the meaning—for those of us who are more mature in this area—but for new Christians this could be very confusing.
They
even go as far as adding to the Bible!
The N.C.C. translators made insertions to change the emphasis of some parts of the Bible. In verses that mention Abraham alone, for example, the committee brings in Sarah, his wife, and even his concubine, Hagar. This kind of alteration especially infuriates critics of the N.C.C. work. “They want to rewrite history, just like the Russians,” remarks Rev. Elizabeth Achtemeier of Union Theological Seminary in Virginia (Ostling 414).
To
add to the Bible like this is dangerous. It says in
Revelation 22:8, “For I [John] testify unto every man that
heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that
are written in this book;” Is it worth horrendous
torture for eternity to be politically correct? I really
should hope not.
10-29-99
