A verse about language:
“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of (Samuel’s )words fall to the ground.” 1 Samuel 3:19
*Warning: This post may contain controversial material.
I pause prior to writing this article. I don’t want to offend anyone. But, that also proves the point of this whole thing, which I hope you’ll be able to see.
I wrote an earlier article about the power of words. This verse echoes that sentiment.
In terms of this verse, the analogy of words falling to the ground symbolizes words lacking value. If they fall to the ground then they have no worth.
In comparison, words that are heard and understood have value; they do not fall to the ground.
The Lord was with Samuel, and he became a valuable prophet. His words certainly had meaning; they had power. They did not fall to the ground.
Why is this controversial?
Today’s society is easily offended. We have different backgrounds and values, and I suppose that’s alright. But if I do or say something that is important to me, there’s a good chance that someone else will be offended.
For the most part, I think that’s nonsense. I don’t condone the spread of hatred, racism, sexism, or anything that’s fully intended to cause harm.
That said, words are letters that are combined together. Even though they have weight, the power that is associated is determined by our connotations of the words.
I think that we can all distinguish between language that’s intended to cause harm versus language that’s meant to portray history or documentation, for example.
Maybe it makes me a hypocrite, but I think that language used for harm should not be protected. I abide by censoring such language from social media, etc.
These words are derived from a place of hate, not love. And to love is our true purpose.
Pronouns
Pronouns have become the latest juicy controversy in our society. It’s now the “professional” thing to have your identifying pronouns on your social media bios and email signatures.
He/him/his/they/theirs/them/she/her/hers/etc.
We’ve gotten to the point where we have to explicitly tell someone what we want to be referred to as. Anything else and we’re offended. Seriously? How have we developed such thin skin?
Even though I haven’t wrapped my head around the idea of someone identifying as multiple people, I have a problem with this concept from a truly educational perspective.
It makes zero grammatical sense.
In the English language, you can’t refer to a singular person as a plural. Every time I see this written or spoken it makes me cringe. And that’s from a purely objective stance – separating any meaning from the words themselves.
Delving deeper, I struggle with the whole concept of “being what we want to be” vs. who God made us. For example, gender-altering processes.
I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with girls playing with tractors and boys playing with dolls. Kids can do kid things, and if that interests them, we should support it.
But, are parents encouraging kids to be something they’re not? This is a rhetorical question, obviously. I don’t have any answers; these are just things that I think about.
I can’t say with certainty that being homosexual is wrong or immoral. But I do know that the Bible says that it is. I have a hard time accepting this, but I know that I should.
In this sense, perhaps my faith is not as strong, because I still question parts of the Bible. And this is a big one.
For those of you in the same boat, I recommend taking a look at Making Sense of the Bible, by Adam Hamilton. It has offered some different perspectives for me on issues such as this.
Homeless, is an offensive word.
I work for the city. As such, they’re always concerned with being politically correct (which is funny and ironic considering all the political turmoil) and never saying something offensive.
To this point, we were informed that the word, “homeless” is offensive. Ever since then, I make a point of using it in any situation that’s pertinent.
In my written reports and radio communications, I do not shy away from using that word, merely out of principle.
That principle is the message that I’m trying to relate in this article; ironically enough, I feel as though I’m doing a poor job of using words to convey my message.
The reason I struggle with avoiding a word like this is simple. It’s just a word. It is an adjective. If you do not have a residence, you are without a home – homeless.
I’m not trying to be hurtful or insulting; I am merely stating a fact. If you are offended by that, I really don’t know what to say.
Let me offer some examples:
Gay
When I was younger, it was common for us (including me, I’m ashamed to say) to say, “That’s gay” in reference to something bad.
I never meant to insinuate that being gay was something bad; they were just words that meant something was bad to me. I now realize how that connection would imply that being gay was bad.
To that end, I don’t think that the use of those words is appropriate in this context.
However, if I were to say that someone was gay because they’re happy, then I do believe that is an appropriate use. It’s in the dictionary; that’s what it means.
But, if I avoid the word gay just because it might offend someone, then the word may as well disappear altogether.
Retarded
In a very similar fashion, “retarded” used to be a common statement. Again, I don’t think it was so much used as an insult to mentally disabled people; the word had a different meaning to me, and it was just another synonym for stupid.
I now see how that can be offensive, and it’s not appropriate.
However, if an object has its velocity decreased, it is retarded. Again, this is a legitimate word that is in the dictionary.
My rig at work even has a function called the “retarder” that assists the brakes in stopping.
Bringing it all together
We know that words have power. We can use them objectively for what they are, or we can use them to cause damage with implied connotations.
I think what’s important is not the censorship or lack thereof, but intent.
In regards to the use of pronouns, I would suggest that either new words are created that have the requisite meaning, or, that the English language needs to evolve.
In the current state, I just can’t get over the fact that these words are grammatically improper.
The point of this post was to discuss the words themselves and the power they carry. The point was to encourage you to use words properly and objectively.
I still have to work out my personal feelings in regard to the philosophical context. Is it hypocritical for me to be a Christian and yet not support the language that condemns being homosexual?
Does that make my faith weak if I don’t support and buy in to the text of the Bible 100%? I don’t know, probably. But that’s a topic for another time.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this idea; let me know in the comments below!
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