The Misuse of Pronouns

[MeganC]

Here is a thing I have noticed lately and I am objecting to it. It is creeping into use among Christians and we need to call it out and stop it. I've been mindlessly doing this too so I am calling myself out here just as much as anyone else.

When a man is known to be a man people will refer to him as they, them, their instead of he, him, his.

When a woman is known to be a woman people will refer to her as they, them, their instead of she, her, hers.

They, them, their are plurals and are not singular. These pronouns should never be used to refer to an individual.

When it is unknown if a person is male or female do not use plural pronouns to refer to the person. Either go with what used to be the accepted default of calling the person he, him, his or else simply refer to the person as the person.

Do not let the woke get away with changing our language to suit their sinful and demonic ways.

 

[Bartato]

Hear hear! This corrupt trend must be strongly opposed.

 

[paterfamilias]

I will go further

It is all a linguistic frame game.
Change people's language and you change how they think. Limit their language and you limit what they can think.

Gender is a function of grammar and Not synonymous with sex. The closest it came before the modern era was in slang in that having sex could be reffered to gendering ie creating from genus and genesis obviously.
By sowing confusion with the term gender and making it fluid, it allowes for concepts like a gender spectrum or assigned gender at birth and gender confirmation. It allows for base lunacy.

So chop chop boys and girls...not just get happy with sex but absolutely going out on a gender bender.

 

[NBTX11]

I am not a fan of policing others speech. I do not care what words you use, as long as I can use the words I want to. If someone wants to call themself or others a they, I do not give a $hit. Or for that matter call themself a dog, get down in all fours, bark, and act like a lunatic, I do not care. Just never tell me what words I can use, or try to force my kids to say certain words (if I still had minor children at home).

 

[Bartato]

I am not a fan of policing others speech. I do not care what words you use, as long as I can use the words I want to. If someone wants to call themself or others a they, I do not give a $hit. Or for that matter call themself a dog, get down in all fours, bark, and act like a lunatic, I do not care. Just never tell me what words I can use, or try to force my kids to say certain words (if I still had minor children at home).

Lying is generally bad. Saying "they" when referring to a "he" or "she" is a type of falsehood. We serve Truth Himself, not the father of lies.

 

[MemeFan]

I am not a fan of policing others speech. I do not care what words you use, as long as I can use the words I want to. If someone wants to call themself or others a they, I do not give a $hit. Or for that matter call themself a dog, get down in all fours, bark, and act like a lunatic, I do not care. Just never tell me what words I can use, or try to force my kids to say certain words (if I still had minor children at home).

It's not that simple.
Because language is created every day by using of words. Think you US elite has redefined democracy to mean "our hegemony".

It matters how others use words.

 

[NBTX11]

Lying is generally bad. Saying "they" when referring to a "he" or "she" is a type of falsehood. We serve Truth Himself, not the father of lies.

I’m not the one lying. They are.

 

[Bartato]

I’m not the one lying. They are.

I know you aren't lying, and aren't promoting lying.

I think more is required of us. We should also oppose the lying of others.

 

[NBTX11]

I know you aren't lying, and aren't promoting lying.

I think more is required of us. We should also oppose the lying of others.

Doesn’t that go against the principle of free speech? Isn’t lying and using wrong pronouns protected free speech?

What if they try to police my speech and say I’m lying (whether I am or not)?

 

[FollowingHim2]

We've always used the word 'they' to refer to someone when we don't know their gender. Used usually in a position that someone holds. For example, if you don't know who is in charge of a big company. The CEO is they or sometimes he/she, until we find out who they actually are. This has been common speech my whole life. The difference is that it's temporary, until you find out who 'they' are, and it's not ever used in someone where we do know their gender.
I don't want to change the way I use language, just because some crazy people are trying to change the meanings of words.

 

[Bartato]

Doesn’t that go against the principle of free speech? Isn’t lying and using wrong pronouns protected free speech?

What if they try to police my speech and say I’m lying (whether I am or not)?

That raises some good questions.

The principle of "free speech" is less important than the principle of honoring the Maker of Heaven and Earth by encouraging truth telling.

Americans, and American Christians, have been tricked (propagandized) into making an idol of "protected free speech".

In addition, violating the principle of "free speech" by encouraging truth telling is totally different than violating "free speech" by trying to bully people into lying.

The Left, Team Globohomo, Team Clown world, Team Trash world, is at work trying to force people to lie about almost everything, and especially human sexuality. They are trying to force everyone to say "they" instead of "he or she".

Make no mistake. They will NEVER leave us alone. They will NEVER quit. They will do everything they can to destroy us, if we don't acquiesce to everything they want.

They do not believe in "live and let live", like conservatives and libertarians.

They are at war against God (Psalm 2), and are determined to either dominate or destroy us. Cultural war is upon us whether or not we seek it.

 

[Bartato]

We've always used the word 'they' to refer to someone when we don't know their gender. Used usually in a position that someone holds. For example, if you don't know who is in charge of a big company. The CEO is they or sometimes he/she, until we find out who they actually are. This has been common speech my whole life. The difference is that it's temporary, until you find out who 'they' are, and it's not ever used in someone where we do know their gender.
I don't want to change the way I use language, just because some crazy people are trying to change the meanings of words.

The controversy about "him, her, and they" pales in comparison to the controversy regarding the use of the words "math and maths". That seems so strange.

 

[MeganC]

We've always used the word 'they' to refer to someone when we don't know their gender.

No. This is a recent thing in the past decade. Prior to this if there was a story about a driver of a car for instance the media would call the driver him. People in general did this as well.

This genderless and plural nonsense is new.

Edit: This is new since 2017...

AP Stylebook blog posts

The AP Stylebook is a writing and editing reference for newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. AP Stylebook Online builds on everything that’s in the print Stylebook, and makes it a more comprehensive, convenient resource.

www.apstylebook.com

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Making a case for a singular ‘they’​

by Lauren Easton, director of media relations on March 24, 2017

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During a panel at the American Copy Editors Society national conference in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, it was announced that the 2017 AP Stylebook will include guidance on the limited use of “they” as a singular pronoun.

The addition is immediately available to AP Stylebook Online subscribers and will be included in the new print edition of the Stylebook when it is published on May 31. Key passages from the new entry include:

They, them, their — In most cases, a plural pronoun should agree in number with the antecedent: The children love the books their uncle gave them.They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy. However, rewording usually is possible and always is preferable. Clarity is a top priority; gender-neutral use of a singular they is unfamiliar to many readers. We do not use other gender-neutral pronouns such as xe or ze…

Arguments for using they/them as a singular sometimes arise with an indefinite pronoun(anyone, everyone, someone) or unspecified/unknown gender(a person, the victim, the winner)…

In stories about people who identify as neither male nor female or ask not to be referred to as he/she/him/her: Use the person’s name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence, whenever possible. If they/them/their use is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun. Be sure that the phrasing does not imply more than one person…

Previewing the 2017 Stylebook at the ACES conference, AP Stylebook editor Paula Froke highlighted a comprehensive entry on gender, which comprises terms such as “cisgender,” “intersex” and “transgender.” It reads in part: “Not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender, according to leading medical organizations, so avoid references to both, either or opposite sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people.” The entry also makes clear that “gender” is not synonymous with “sex.”

 

[NBTX11]

They do not believe in "live and let live", like conservatives and libertarians.

This is why I want to be left alone. I’m a conservative and just want to be left alone to practice my faith in God the way I see fit. Use what words you want but leave me alone and leave me out of it.

 

[MeganC]

This is why I want to be left alone. I’m a conservative and just want to be left alone to practice my faith in God the way I see fit. Use what words you want but leave me alone and leave me out of it.

1. For some people it is their purpose in life to control other people.
2. Secular liberal humanists hate conservative people of faith and leaving you alone is not something they will entertain.
3. They will not leave you alone and leave you out of it.

 

[Bartato]

This is why I want to be left alone. I’m a conservative and just want to be left alone to practice my faith in God the way I see fit. Use what words you want but leave me alone and leave me out of it.

1. For some people it is their purpose in life to control other people.
2. Secular liberal humanists hate conservative people of faith and leaving you alone is not something they will entertain.
3. They will not leave you alone and leave you out of it.

That's the problem with us conservatives. We just want to be left alone.

That won't work. It's not an option anymore, and probably never was.

The Russian kulaks wanted to be left alone, but ended up dead. These people won't leave us alone.

We need to start turning our culture around, and truth telling is an important first step.

 

[paterfamilias]

I am not a fan of policing others speech. I do not care what words you use, as long as I can use the words I want to. If someone wants to call themself or others a they, I do not give a $hit. Or for that matter call themself a dog, get down in all fours, bark, and act like a lunatic, I do not care. Just never tell me what words I can use, or try to force my kids to say certain words (if I still had minor children at home).

I care deeply.
The argument is used constantly that language is always changing and evolving etc etc. Sure...broad stokes accurate.

The point the Megan and I are making is a political one in that the intentional manipulation of what words we mean and how we describe are being changed so as to change how we think and what we accept.
My primary contention is that the false framing of these issues to change behavior are simply lies. That no matter how many times one repeats a lie...even if most are unaware they are speaking falsely...the truth remains the same.

I am currently arguing with someone on the topic of migrant vs immigrant. Their contention is that whatever an online dictionary says is the truth.
Yeah...you will likely guess that I disagree. Mainly because I am right. The use of the term migrant for people who are attempting to permanently immigrate rather than follow seasonal work and frequently return to their country of origin after a season is simply political framing to influence modern thought and shift that Overton window.
Tonnes of examples out there...you get the point.

Sidebar - Hey ladies, who has a thing for a man with a lot of old dictionaries?

 

[Mark C]

I am currently arguing with someone on the topic of migrant vs immigrant.

I contend the proper term for one who invades a country is "invader."

And the term for millions of 'em is "army." But perhaps "armies" is more apropos there.

PS> And I don't care what their 'pronouns' are - although most are males. In which case the term is definitely 'they' - very plural.

 

[phaedrus]

The whole they, them, their, we, us thing is hard to look at and not thing about possession.

 

[FollowingHim]

The controversy about "him, her, and they" pales in comparison to the controversy regarding the use of the words "math and maths". That seems so strange.

Yet you have just found the heart of the problem. In that, you Americans take a plural word - "mathematics" - and replace it with a singular one - "math" - instead of retaining the plurality of the word as "maths". In this you have been indoctrinated from the time you started school that plurals can be interchanged with singulars, and that has made you receptive to "they/them" being interchanged with "him/her". Ever wonder why this linguistic confusion began in the USA, and not somewhere that still speaks proper English? Now you know.