Man overboard! opps, person overboard? Or,’he-she’ fell overboard? Lord only knows what’s next

Man overboard? name of  God the Father overboard?

Man overboard?   Name of God the  Father goes overboard? Oh Lord, what’s next!

The Church of Sweden now encourages  its clergy to use the gender-neutral term “God” .  And they suggest that clergy stop referring to the deity as “he” or “the Lord”.

The decision was made on Thursday, wrapping up an eight-day meeting of the church’s 251-member decision-making body. The decision will take effect on May 20 during Pentecost.

It is the latest move by the national Evangelical Lutheran church to modernise its 31-year-old handbook setting out how services should be conducted.

Opps   — which of the following  might you have mistakenly  used this past year? Which other ones do you want to add to the list?

                                            Gender-neutral terms —

Garbage man …  how about  garbage truck driver?

Man hole …  person cover hole? 

Forefathers – ancestors, forebears   ….   how about our ‘foremothers’ begot  …?

Gentleman’s agreement – unwritten agreement, agreement based on trust …. three women splitting a lunch bill ?  

Girls (for adults) – women

Housewife – shopper, consumer, homemaker (depends on context)  …   shall we use, he is such a good house-husband?

Manpower – human resources, labour force, staff, personnel, workers, workforce

Man or mankind – humanity, humankind, human race, people

Man-made – artificial, manufactured, synthetic

Man in the street, common man – average/ordinary/typical citizen/person

Right-hand man – chief assistant

Sportsmanship – fairmess, good humour, sense of fair play

Cardiff Metropolitan University’s Guide to Inclusive Language

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Comment:   Is this more political correctness than we need?  Fathers are different than mothers.  Thank God  for that!    And children need fathers in the home and in their lives.  So what say you?     Cameron Jackson

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