Priests in Britain have asked the Anglican Church if they can stop speaking of God as a man in the near future and instead use more inclusive and gender-neutral terms.
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The Church of England announced last week that it plans to set up a commission on the issue next spring.
In the event of a possible change in the terms used, which would represent an unprecedented break with traditional teachings, it is the General Synod – a decision-making and legislative assembly of the Anglican Church – that will or will not approve the decision.
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Members of the Church attend the Church of England Synod at Church House, London.
Reverend Dr Michael Ipgrave, Bishop of Lichfield and vice-chairman of the liturgical commission responsible for the issue, told The Guardian that the church “has been exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for a number of years”.
The Bishop’s comments follow a question put to the Synod by the Rev. Joanna Stobart, Vicar of Ilminster and Whitelackington, about progress in developing “more inclusive language” in liturgical offices within the Anglican Church.
What will become of the famous “Our Father” that has been recited from generation to generation for millennia? The details of the project are currently unclear.
Several English Conservatives strongly criticize this possible change within the Church, affirming that the term ‘father’ cannot be replaced by the term ‘mother’ without changing the meaning of the utterances.
An old debate
If some believe that God is a man, others believe that he would rather be a woman.
The debate over the Creator’s gender is not new, according to a Church of England spokesman, who reminds us that “Christians have recognized since ancient times that God is neither male nor female.”
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Charles III, King of England and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
“Since the launch of our current forms of contemporary language ministry more than 20 years ago, we have been more interested in exploring new language practices,” we tell the English media, indicating that no such change could be made. without careful thought”.
What does ChatGPT think?
To push the discussion further, 24 Hours decided to ask ChatGPT, the popular AI-powered chatbot developed by Open AI, if God is male or female.
Here is his diplomatic response:
“In many religions, God is viewed as neither male nor female, but as a higher spiritual being who transcends the qualities and limitations of the human form. Gender attributes may be ascribed 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 beliefs and can vary greatly from person to person.”
− With information from The Guardian