• Culture & Society
  • Economy
  • Faith
  • News & Politics
  • Health & Science
  • World
  • Login
ThinkCivics
  • Home
  • About
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • Contribute
  • ThinkCivics Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • Contribute
  • ThinkCivics Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
THINKCIVICS
No Result
View All Result

Is the Vocabulary Used by Congress Headed for Change?

Democratic representatives have proposed a new bill that could change the words being used throughout congress.

Jeffrey Stevens by Jeffrey Stevens
January 5, 2021
in Culture & Society
Reading Time: 4min read
0
1
The U.S. House Of Representatives Convenes 117th Congress

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 3: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) holds the Speakers gavel in the air on the House floor in the Capitol after becoming Speaker of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. Both chambers are holding rare Sunday sessions to open the new Congress on January 3 as the Constitution requires. (Photo By Bill Clark - Pool/Getty Images)

You can support ThinkCivics and help to sustain our news magazine by becoming a patron at Patreon or by directly donating via PayPal.
Article Table of Contents hide
1 Key Takeaways
2 Possible Changes Coming to Congress
3 Could schools be next?
4 The Next Generation of Parenting

Key Takeaways

  • Representative Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo) concluded a prayer opening the 117th Congress with “Amen and a woman”.
  • As progressive candidates begin winning at local and state levels, it’s only natural to expect them to want changes made with how children are educated on gender.
  • There are millions of concerned parents throughout the country right now, who don’t support how children are being taught about gender. 

The opening of the 117th Congress has come and gone. Sadly, with everything currently happening in the United States that should have our full attention, the way Representative Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo) closed the opening prayer should have been the focus.

With Cleaver also being a Methodist pastor, I want to believe prayer is an area he would specialize in. However, as a devout Catholic and Christian writer, the words “Amen and A-woman” just didn’t sit well with me. As the parent of a five-year-old child, this has really grabbed my attention.

Get Our Weekly Newsletter and Get Smarter

Receive a weekly recap featuring a curated list of must-read stories.

We agree to have my personal information transfered to MailChimp ( more information )

We will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

I get it. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats are pushing for a plan that eliminates pronouns that are gender-specific. I’ll touch on that here in a minute. Still, when a Christian, Muslim, or Jew finishes a prayer with the word “Amen,” the term doesn’t relate to gender. For a pastor or leader of a Christian congregation, this is basic knowledge.

In order to understand the original meaning of the word “Amen,” we need to look at its etymology. The word is Hebrew and has traveled through several languages, including Latin and Greek. It means “certainty” or “truth.” In the original Hebrew, it can also mean “so it be” or “it is so.”

As people of faith, when we conclude our prayers with “Amen,” it has nothing to do with God’s gender identity or role. That being said, when your focus is pleasing others instead of speaking the truth, it’s easy to pick up on the English word “men” in the spelling.

Possible Changes Coming to Congress

Many Republican representatives are condemning a plan proposed by their Democratic counterparts calling for the elimination of gender-specific pronouns. If the proposal goes through, the House of Representatives’ rules will no longer include words such as “he” or “she.” Instead, it will be “they” and “them”. While this will start with the House of Representatives, one can only expect the way all of the congress communicates will also be changing.

The U.S. House Of Representatives Convenes 117th Congress
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 3: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) swears in members of the 117th Congress on the House floor in the Capitol on January 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. Both chambers are holding rare Sunday sessions to open the new Congress on January 3 as the Constitution requires. (Photo by Bill Clark – Pool/Getty Images)

According to Democrats, their aim is to “ensure we are inclusive of all members and their families – including those who are nonbinary.” The word “child” will be used to replace “son” and “daughter,” while “parent” will replace “mother” and “father.” The words “sister” and “brother” will now become “sibling.” Aunts and uncles are to be known as “parent’s siblings.”

Could schools be next?

Throughout the United States, non-binary and transgender candidates are not only running for election, but they’re also winning. These results are heavily influencing Democratic politics. As these candidates begin winning at local and state levels, it’s only natural to expect them to want changes made with how children are educated.

This could mean even more significant changes for public school curriculums. While school already looks much different than when I was elementary school age, even more changes could be coming within the next two years. If congress is willing to go as far as changing the words and vocabulary used in government offices, buildings, and establishments, what’s to stop them from making these same exact changes in public schools? 

Read: Argentina Becomes Third South American Country to Legalize Abortion

I could understand these changes happening at colleges and universities, where students are at least adult age and able to think for themselves. Maybe even high school. I don’t think this is going to be where Democrats aim to make the changes though. I believe they will want to start influencing the students as early and as young as possible. 

The Next Generation of Parenting

I’ve already mentioned the fact that I’m a devout Catholic. So, I’m not the parent of a young child. I’m the father of a five-year-old little girl. Up until this point, I’ve made sure I’ve stayed politically correct with the topic at hand. For transgender and non-binary people, I have nothing but respect for the words and vocabulary you use, providing a level of comfort in an evil and cruel world. I completely understand how calling me a “parent” instead of a “father” would make you feel more comfortable yourself. 

That being said, I don’t understand how you could think it’s ok for the way my daughter is taught and the education she will receive to be forced to change? Actually, you won’t. When I say I’m a devout Catholic, that means my little girl goes to a private, Catholic school. Still, she has friends in ballet, gymnastics, cheerleading, and all the other activities young girls participate in at her age, who don’t attend the same school she does. 

I’m not one of a kind. There are millions of concerned parents throughout the country right now. We’re not just Catholic. We are people from all walks of life, with many different beliefs and religions. We’re not saying you can’t change the way you go about living life and communicating. We’re simply saying it’s not ok for you to demand we follow along.

Jeffrey Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens is a published author and is currently earning his second degree in theology from Aidan University. His writings are focused on the Christian faith, mixed with some sports writing from time to time. When it comes to his faith, he had articles published on websites such as Catholic 365, Big Pulpit, Catholic Stand, and Joshua’s Outpost.

As a sportswriter, his articles have been featured on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Bleacher Report. Jeffrey can be heard hosting the Gospel Grammar show, available on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and RadioPublic.

Tags: CleaverCongressGender

Related Posts

Racial Justice Makes Harrowing Assault on Math and Education
Culture & Society

Racial Justice Makes Harrowing Assault on Math and Education

by Keefer Novik
February 24, 2021
0

Key Takeaways A new project called A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction born from the racial justice movement in...

Read more

Cancel Culture is a Menace and It Must Be Stopped!

Why Progressives and Conservatives Can’t Seem to Agree about Justice

The Cancel Culture Mob Got Gina Carano and Is Eyeing Fox News. Here’s Why It’s Wrong.

A Moral and Religious People: The Constitution and our Society

What Will Follow Wednesday’s Rioting at the US Capitol?

News that Matters | March 05, 2021

The New Border Chaos: A Crisis of Biden’s Own Making
Rick Lowry, NY Post
Newsome & Cuomo: The Rise and Fall of 2 Star Dems
Halper & Mehta, LA Times
Dems Use Covid to Push Big Spending-Even as Virus Fades
Steve Miller, RCI
Why is Joe Biden Dodging the Public and the Press?
Joe Concha, The Hill
Dems Hide Radical Ideas Behind Rosy Bill Titles
James Antle, Washington Examiner
Elites Waging Class War on Workers & Small Businesses
Glenn Reynolds, NY Post
Report: U.S. Contributes to Ongoing Decline of Freedom Worldwide
Sara Swann, The Fulcrum
The Self-Silencing Majority
Bari Weiss, Deseret

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Poll: 29% of Americans support splitting US into ‘regions’

Poll: 29% of Americans support splitting US into ‘regions’

March 4, 2021
Migrants at the border between Mexico and the USA

Photos: Migrant group wearing Biden shirts try to cross US/Mexican border

March 5, 2021
California City Bans New Gas Stations in Latest Climate Change Effort

California City Bans New Gas Stations in Latest Climate Change Effort

March 4, 2021
American Conservative Union Holds Annual Conference In Florida

YouTube deleted videos of Trump’s CPAC speech and suspended a channel that posted it

March 5, 2021
American Conservative Union Holds Annual Conference In Florida

YouTube deleted videos of Trump’s CPAC speech and suspended a channel that posted it

March 5, 2021
Migrants at the border between Mexico and the USA

Photos: Migrant group wearing Biden shirts try to cross US/Mexican border

March 5, 2021
Can the US Adopt Renewable Energy Sources While Protecting the Electric Grid Against Threats?

Can the US Adopt Renewable Energy Sources While Protecting the Electric Grid Against Threats?

March 5, 2021
Voting Access Bill Sparks Controversy In Georgia

Civil rights groups urge companies to join fight against Georgia voting restrictions

March 5, 2021
ThinkCivics

© 2021 THINKCIVICS Media. All Rights Reserved.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

TOPICS

  • Culture & Society
  • Economy
  • Faith
  • News & Politics
  • Health & Science
  • World

FOLLOW US

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • About
  • Store
  • Contact Us
  • ThinkCivics Plus
  • Contribute
  • Login

© 2021 THINKCIVICS Media. All Rights Reserved.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

*By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.