On 2nd June 2019, Brisbane’s Sunday Mail splashed this on the front page
as their lead story:
What followed was a breathless take by the journalist about “elite schools” changing the wording of prayers to promote a gender-neutral concept of God. Apparently this is the work of the PC-crazy leftists in our schools!
I have a few thoughts about this, but first a disclaimer. I consider myself a “poor Catholic”. I attended state schools for my primary education, and then a Catholic boys’ secondary school. My initial teacher-training was taken at a Catholic institution, and I worked in Catholic schools from 1978 to 2016. I have studied theology, sacramental theology and moral theology. I state this not to claim authority, but to simply give background to my opinion.
I have a feeling that the lead article, the editorial (on p.62), and many of the more than 200 comments online, are nothing more than confected outrage. There are a number of reasons for this belief. Firstly, the Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail know what buttons to press to get a reaction from their mainly conservative readership, and Catholic Schools, gender and “political correctness” just about make up the perfect trifecta. Secondly, I think if those who are so loudly complaining about this issue were genuine, they would be offering prayers for those in “the wrong”, rather than pillorying them. Thirdly, I wonder, also, how many of the outraged are actually practising their faith now? When one studies theology a bit, you learn that your interpretation of the divine, of scripture, and of the nature of God develops as you become more mature, knowledgeable, reflective and thoughtful. If you don’t educate yourself, your understanding remains as that of the schoolchild who first heard the stories and learned the Lord’s Prayer, and you continue to think of God the Father/Creator as looking like Charlton Heston with a big beard. In all areas of life, we grow and develop, why not in our understanding of religious matters?
The concept of the divine feminine, of God being neither male nor female, and the push for more inclusive language in prayers and hymns is not new. As some of the article's comment writers pointed out, this has been happening since the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s. So, welcome to the mid-20th Century, Sunday Mail! Again, if some people are unaware of this inclusiveness, I would suggest a program of personal education to acquaint yourself with some ideas in modern theological thought.
I’m surprised that none of the outraged commenters were concerned with the offensive headline - “SHEESUS!”. To my mind that in itself is borderline blasphemy in mocking the name of Jesus. But no one seemed to be worried about that, so it’s probably another pointer to it being confected, or ignorant, outrage.
My last observation is, to me, the most disturbing of all. Extremism, in any form, ends in tears, and this outrage is an example of just that. Assuming honesty on all sides here, the question, “Do you believe in God?”, could be asked and the answer should be “Yes”. If it’s not, then really you have no reason to be upset, outraged, or even complaining about this. So, here, for argument’s sake, we are all believers. Question two: “Do you believe in three persons in one God?” Christians must answer “Yes”. Again, if you disagree, go away because this discussion is not for you. So, the basis of agreement here is that there is one God, who has three aspects, the second of whom is Jesus, who was the son of Mary. Are we all agreed? So the problem is that some people dare to use different words to acknowledge and worship the same God. Really? Outrage and hate because, and let me make this as clear as I can, “You worship the same God as me, but you must use the same words as me, or you are an apostate.” That, dear reader, is how religious wars begin. Consider the Irish ‘Troubles”, and Sunni v Shia in the Muslim world. Let’s not go down that path.
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| Sunday Mail, 2-6-2019 |
What followed was a breathless take by the journalist about “elite schools” changing the wording of prayers to promote a gender-neutral concept of God. Apparently this is the work of the PC-crazy leftists in our schools!
I have a few thoughts about this, but first a disclaimer. I consider myself a “poor Catholic”. I attended state schools for my primary education, and then a Catholic boys’ secondary school. My initial teacher-training was taken at a Catholic institution, and I worked in Catholic schools from 1978 to 2016. I have studied theology, sacramental theology and moral theology. I state this not to claim authority, but to simply give background to my opinion.
I have a feeling that the lead article, the editorial (on p.62), and many of the more than 200 comments online, are nothing more than confected outrage. There are a number of reasons for this belief. Firstly, the Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail know what buttons to press to get a reaction from their mainly conservative readership, and Catholic Schools, gender and “political correctness” just about make up the perfect trifecta. Secondly, I think if those who are so loudly complaining about this issue were genuine, they would be offering prayers for those in “the wrong”, rather than pillorying them. Thirdly, I wonder, also, how many of the outraged are actually practising their faith now? When one studies theology a bit, you learn that your interpretation of the divine, of scripture, and of the nature of God develops as you become more mature, knowledgeable, reflective and thoughtful. If you don’t educate yourself, your understanding remains as that of the schoolchild who first heard the stories and learned the Lord’s Prayer, and you continue to think of God the Father/Creator as looking like Charlton Heston with a big beard. In all areas of life, we grow and develop, why not in our understanding of religious matters?
The concept of the divine feminine, of God being neither male nor female, and the push for more inclusive language in prayers and hymns is not new. As some of the article's comment writers pointed out, this has been happening since the Second Vatican Council in the early 1960s. So, welcome to the mid-20th Century, Sunday Mail! Again, if some people are unaware of this inclusiveness, I would suggest a program of personal education to acquaint yourself with some ideas in modern theological thought.
I’m surprised that none of the outraged commenters were concerned with the offensive headline - “SHEESUS!”. To my mind that in itself is borderline blasphemy in mocking the name of Jesus. But no one seemed to be worried about that, so it’s probably another pointer to it being confected, or ignorant, outrage.
My last observation is, to me, the most disturbing of all. Extremism, in any form, ends in tears, and this outrage is an example of just that. Assuming honesty on all sides here, the question, “Do you believe in God?”, could be asked and the answer should be “Yes”. If it’s not, then really you have no reason to be upset, outraged, or even complaining about this. So, here, for argument’s sake, we are all believers. Question two: “Do you believe in three persons in one God?” Christians must answer “Yes”. Again, if you disagree, go away because this discussion is not for you. So, the basis of agreement here is that there is one God, who has three aspects, the second of whom is Jesus, who was the son of Mary. Are we all agreed? So the problem is that some people dare to use different words to acknowledge and worship the same God. Really? Outrage and hate because, and let me make this as clear as I can, “You worship the same God as me, but you must use the same words as me, or you are an apostate.” That, dear reader, is how religious wars begin. Consider the Irish ‘Troubles”, and Sunni v Shia in the Muslim world. Let’s not go down that path.
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