Do you approve of gender-neutral translations of the Bible?
I do not approve. Leave the way the Bible is written alone.
— Pam Hunter, Silver Spring
As a Reform Jew I am exceptionally comfortable with inclusive language in
our prayer books. The language we use increasingly moves away from the
idea that God is of any gender or of any particular "type." Thus, we now
refer to God as "God" or by "God's" Hebrew name, not as a man.
Further, we tend to avoid referring to "Lord," which suggests a male or
paternal concept.
— Samuel A. Simon, McLean
Absolutely -- at the time the Bible was written (many years after the actual
events I might add) -- language was used differently. Today, language is
inclusive because our culture is inclusive. Just as the language reflected
the culture of its day back then, so should the language reflect the
culture of today.
— Cecilia Lammers, Mitchellville
No!!! If you allow gender-neutral changes -- not translations -- what's
next? Changing references to God from "Him" to "It"?
— Rom Escanilla, Clinton
No, I don't approve. Gender-neutral language was obviously not a concern of
the Bible's authors. They wrote as they thought and talked back then.
Personally, I think that's the way it should stay. Honestly, if one reads
the Bible and considers and accepts what the customs of the times were, I
don't see why there's a problem. It's the way it was. It seems the whole
gender-neutral thing is all for the sake of being politically correct, and,
in my opinion, it looks like some "men" have too much time on their hands.
— Joseph Snyder, Alexandria
I oppose gender-neutral Bibles on the grounds that the debate is a
meaningless distraction from what Christians should be paying attention to.
The book is a guide to living your life, not a political football to be
tossed about. "Sons" vs. "children" should join "thou" vs. "you" and "sins"
vs. "trespasses" in the list of meaningless religious debates that have
nothing to do with living a Christian life. How could any female Christian
reasonably believe that God looks less favorably upon her simply because of
her gender?
— Larry Akiyama, Alexandria
As Catholics, my wife and I have noticed that Bible verses and songs have
changed. While she seems to support the idea, I do not. If you truly
believe in the message of the Bible then you will understand that the use
of the masculine pronoun is not a slight. If one feels God doesn't love them
because the Bible doesn't say "woman," they should re-examine their faith
and not Biblical grammar.
The writers of scripture lived in a time when that was done, so we should
not change, if only to help remember the world in which Christ lived.
