(ROC) - The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has stated that from now on in the Congress there is no room for such obsolete notions as mother, father, daughter, etc. All terms, as well as pronouns will be gender-neutral. Thus, instead of “chairman” they will just say “chair,” instead of “grandson” or “granddaughter” they will be using universal “grandchild,” and so on.
Commenting on these novelties, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations, noted that echoes of these discussions could be heard in Russia as well. For instance, disputes are under way as to the necessity of gender-specific job titles. “In the Russian language, as a rule, feminine names are applied to women, and masculine ones to men. Although there are exceptions. For example, the noun “professor” is masculine, but it can refer to both men and women. The word “writer” is also applicable to men and women, albeit for women there is the word “authoress.” Yet, some women do not like to be called authoresses, reckoning that they should also be called writers. All this is largely a matter of taste. Marina Tsvetayeva, as far as I remember, used to say that she was not a poetess, but a poet,” the archpastor pointed out.
“However, when from the sphere of taste all this moves to the sphere of politics, the situation gets much more serious, because disappearance of such fundamental notions as mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister, etc., from the political lexicon is not just a sign of new fashion or new tastes, but an evidence of deliberate and wilful destruction of the traditional family structure,” Metropolitan Hilarion added.
In his opinion, such steps cause greater alarm for the U.S. Congress, as well as for the American society as a whole. “Despite all the political trends and craze for political correctness, the American society is essentially very traditional. In America there are great many believers, many large families with a father, mother, son, daughter, brother and sister, and in no way they are going to give up either these names or traditional form of family. The further away the political elite will be from the people and the political discourse from what constitutes people’s life, the harder it will be for the American politicians to hold on to power, I think,” the DECR chairman said in conclusion.
Monday, February 1, 2021
The ever-growing distance from politicians to people
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The political elite do not care about anything except money and power. They long ago stopped being concerned some time around LBJ being elected Vice-President. He was the most corrupt VP and President we have ever had.
ReplyDeleteUntil this year that is.
DeleteWell my clown friend, I won't argue but there was a reason MacBird was a hit satire at the time. LBJ and Lady Bird were a matched set and much more consciously aware of what they were doing.
DeletePick em.
"Despite all the political trends and craze for political correctness, the American society is essentially very traditional...{and the rest bolded by our host}"
ReplyDeleteThis simply is not true. Rod Dreher and others have been calling on the traditionally minded hierarchy/clergy/lay of the Orthodox (and little "o" orthodox in RCism and Protestantism) to pull their heads out of the sand and look around them. Sociological research tells us that Orthodox accept and practice the sexual/anthropological revolution at almost the same rate as the general population in our western secular societies. This research confirms the sense that many of us have of general Orthodox parish spiritual life - that it is only marginally better than the "average", and that at least half of us are fully secularized Christians, and the "traditional" half are rudderless and plagued with anxiety/doubt over their affirmation(s) around the traditional family/morality.
Yes, the elites (political, legal,corporate, professorial class, etc.) are leading indicators but this does not mean that the America in the main holds to a "traditional" Christian anthropology...
It's worth noting this press release just that, a less than neutral characterization ("such obsolete notions as") of the gender-neutral language rule adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives. It does not quote the Speaker, the Rules Committee Chair, or any proposals. It simply responds.
ReplyDeleteI don't speak Russian, but the way this press release is written seems to mistake gender in English with the way gender is signified in other languages. In German, for example, every noun has a "gender", though it includes a neutral ("non-binary", perhaps?) gender in addition to masculine and feminine. English does not operate with that kind of "gendering".
Finally, too, in any formal or business setting where gender (marital status, race, ethnicity, etc.) is not immediately relevant, we already avoid introducing it - because it isn't relevant. There is no reason to mention the race and gender of Walgreen's incoming CEO, for example, unless its purpose is to discuss the fact she is black - and that's only relevant because it's unfortunately, disproportionately uncommon. The new House rules simply acknowledge in that body the standard formal communication and titling in society. It's not about removing the idea of mother, father, brother, sister, male or female from society. It's simply acknowledging the fact a large number of police are female and therefore ignored by the term policemen; the same is true of female sailors left out by speaking only of seamen. It isn't political correctness, these rules are simply a commitment to accuracy and relevance in the language we use.
In addition, "these changes apply only to the rules document and do not prevent House members from using gendered language in any other communication... [and] the move 'would not impinge upon the freedom of any House members to use gender-specific language in the course of conducting the business of the House,' the fact-checking site Snopes notes."
ReplyDeleteThose prone to apocalyptic pearl-clutching over culture war signifiers like this should also note Speaker Pelosi referred to the Chair of the House Rules Committee as ChairMAN Jim McGovern in her press release. So, this is quite obviously not a totalitarian newspeak agenda, though right-wing talking heads and grifters have spun it as such in their effort to make a buck off the gullible, parochial, and fearful.
"... The new House rules simply acknowledge in that body the standard formal communication and titling in society. It's not about removing the idea of mother, father, brother, sister, male or female from society...It isn't political correctness...right-wing talking heads and grifters have spun it as such in their effort to make a buck off the gullible, parochial, and fearful...."
ReplyDeleteYour naivete does not become you "123". This IS tied into the spirit of the current transhumanism. To justify this language/sybolic manipulation as an effort of a slightly older (say, from 20 years ago) feminism is wishful thinking on your part. Right wingers, left wingers, and everbody else should be afraid, very afraid ;)
Passing along one's assumptions about what another "really believes" is a species of gossip, i.e., sin.
ReplyDeleteThe fact transgender rights supporters also welcome this change in no way negates the fact that these changes apply "only to the rules document" rather than the House, its member, or society, and are at the same time more accurate. In fact, by not inserting irrelevant, unnecessary facts about a person (e.g., gender, marital status) into the rules document, it actually makes the document more formal, which one would normally expect of congressional documents (not to mention conservatives pining for days of yore when society was more formal.)
To understand why some might not like that, imagine being introduced by various aspects of your person and personal life in unrelated situations, e.g., Orthodox Christian Trump supporter Jake X. would ask the Court to void his speeding ticket, 48-year old Jake X. will have the pie a la mode, this is left-handed, dyslexic Jake X. from HR who can help with that expense question. The descriptors are irrelevant in those situations.
"...Orthodox Christian Trump supporter Jake X. would ask the Court to void his speeding ticket, 48-year old Jake X. will have the pie a la mode, this is left-handed, dyslexic Jake X...The descriptors are irrelevant in those situations..."
ReplyDeleteContext is everything. Why these changes, and why now? As you admit transhumanists welcome this change, and thus the "facts" of grammatical correctness are besides the point because these changes were not made for grammatical and formal correctness alone. They were done in a political and metaphysical (theological anthropology) context/debate. The latter is much more important.
Jake, I do not think 123 is naive. It is purposely advancing the transhumanist cultural narrative trying to intentionally downplay a significant change as irrelevant. It knows better.
ReplyDeleteI do not know it is even human. It could be a bot for all I know.
So, I am adopting my own language, those that refuse to acknowledge actual gender in humans and in language referring to humans are "it". That is what it really wants after all.
Seeing that 123 is implicitly denying its own humanity, I will not converse with it. It would be like trying to converse with a chair. It will not really care.
The paradox and mystery of the creation,male and female, is wasted on it.
It is a mystery that can only be understood from within a true Christian phronema. Indeed one I have been contemplating my entire Christian life.
It is somehow essential to becoming fully human and therefore to salvation.
Its will not be saved.
"...Seeing that 123 is implicitly denying its own humanity, I will not converse with it....The paradox and mystery of the creation,male and female, is wasted on it..."
DeleteLol Michael. 123 has been commenting herre for a while and is human enough, but yes the emphasis on the technicality of grammar and the ignoring of the symbolic context is a sign of the times no doubt. Lord have mercy!
I just learned that a law passed in Australia makes it illegal (fine and serious prison time) for any person or organization (including religious ones) to say anything, including prayers that question any one's confessed gender even if the person asks for help. Also applies to parents with young children.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lifesitenews.com/news/gay-conversion-bill-targeting-christians-becoming-law-in-victoria
Jake, I do not recall 123 and it may be human but it has no clue at best. Besides how else is one supposed to converse in a non-gendered way. Such communication denies what being human really is. Despite its protestation to the contrary one's sex and race are always relevant because men and women think differently, problem solve differently, etc. There are also significant differences between races. I say Vive la Difference but the difference is real thank God.
Then there is always the line from The Prisoner: "I am not a number, I am a free man?".
I wonder how 123 would translate. Would it send out Rover. Or would Sandra Dee play in the background?
Of course it is probably too young to get those allusions. Alas.