Sunday, August 28, 2011

A Brilliantly Scathing Idea for Those Offended by God's Masculinity

Nothing gets under my skin like having to hear someone sitting near me at Mass replace the word "Him" with "God".  Not that I find anything offensive about the name "God".  I just find it offensive that people do not wish to refer to Him with a male pronoun.  And I must say I am especially apt to get ticked if the offending party is a gray-haired woman, which I must say, it usually is..

Today, many of the regulars were absent from our TLM because of the weather.  I shocked myself by sitting up front (well, up front for me at least) which meant if I stood, sat or knelt at the wrong time, a good part of the congregation would follow me.  The fact that the schola was also missing meant that any responses I made would be heard more audibly than usual.  I did my best and hopefully, didn't throw anyone else off track.

As I was walking home amid the wind and the raindrops, I had a brilliantly scathing idea.  The next time the grey-haired lady who sits near me at weekday Mass makes  her gender-neutral responses, I could make mine in Latin.  Then she will be thrown off instead of me.

Of course, I would not do such a thing, but the thought of it is tempting.  I hope when we bid farewell to the lame-duck translation, this annoying habit some women have will go with it.

7 comments:

  1. Brava! teach me or give me something to read and I will join you! I never could get used to that...but I would try to say HIM loudly enough to keep myself on track. Notnice? Maybe...but it was in self defense! lol

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  2. Really? People actually change up the responses? Wow. Even if they want to remain gender neutral, as if they should make that decision, "he" is pretty standard, like saying "man" for human. Strange someone would feel they need to do this.

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  3. I had to smile, Joyce, as I know that my husband responds in Latin during daily Mass. I know he tries to do so quietly, But I am sure there's someone wondering about him!

    The Gender neutrality seems so contrived to me. It annoys me as well. God made us male AND female...he deems unique importance to each...quit being so defensive and self-absorbed I'd like to tell the grey haired lady...but get annoyed too easily...

    One of the reasons I go to the Latin Mass is that there is less nonsense there. People pray and silence is not something to be filled.It can be found there.

    Enjoying your posts and your visits to my blog. God bless.

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  4. Kathy~unfortunately~some of those someones are religious sisters. :/ and as Joyce mentioned~ of the grey hair variety. Don't get me wrong, I love these ladies. Just not that bit if their theology.

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  5. at a certain parish in my diocese, the priest stopped Mass to reprimand the people and call those out who said God instead of Him. it is stupid and immature to try to change the responses.

    God Bless

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  6. I once attended a Mass where the lector changed the readings to gender neutral language. I nearly came out of the pew to choke her!

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  7. Love this!!! Good luck with the Latin!

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