Priests in Britain have asked the Anglican Church if they can in the near future stop speaking of God as a man and instead use more inclusive and gender-neutral terms.
• Read also: A “paw-tarnish” leave when adopting an animal? This is what a Canadian company offers
• Read also: Schools are often not equipped to tackle sexual violence
The Church of England announced last week that it plans to launch a commission on the issue next spring.
In the event of a possible change in the terms used, which would mark an unprecedented break with traditional teachings, it is the general synod – a decision-making and legislative assembly of the Anglican Church – which will approve or not the decision.
Reverend D.r Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield and vice-president of the liturgical commission responsible for this matter, told The Guardian that the Church “had been exploring for several years the use of gendered language in matters of God.”
The bishop’s comments follow a question posed to the synod by the Reverend Joanna Stobart, Vicar of Ilminster and Whitelackington, about progress being made in developing a “more inclusive language” in liturgical offices within the Anglican Church.
What will become of the famous “Our Father”, recited from generation to generation for millennia? The details of the project are, for the moment, unclear.
Several English conservatives sharply criticize this possible change within the Church, affirming that the term “Father” cannot be replaced by that of “Mother” without altering the meaning of the remarks.
An old debate
If some believe that God is a man, others believe that he would rather be a woman.
The debate over the gender of the Creator is not new, according to a spokesperson for the Church of England who reminds us that “Christians have recognized since ancient times that God is neither male nor female”.
AFP
Charles III, King of England and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
“Since the introduction of our current forms of service in contemporary language, more than 20 years ago, we have been more interested in exploring new language practices”, we mention to the English media, specifying that no change of this kind could be made ‘without careful consideration’.
What does ChatGPT think?
To take the discussion further, 24 hours decided to ask ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot developed by Open AI, if God was male or female.
Here is his diplomatic response:
“In many religions, God is seen neither as male nor as female, but as a higher spiritual being who transcends the characteristics and limitations of the human form. Gender attributes may be attributed to God in some religious texts for ease of understanding, but they do not define the nature of God. Ultimately, the question of God’s gender identity depends on individual religious belief and can vary greatly from person to person.”
− With information from The Guardian
See also: