A "Must Read"

I really want everyone to read this excellent post over at Telling Secrets, the blog of Reverenda Elizabeth Kaeton. She labels this post a rant, but it just plain-spoken truth, in my opinion.

The discourse between right and left has grown increasingly strident over the years. I read several political blogs on the left of the spectrum which link to right-wing blogs which feature much violent language and macho posturing. There is some pretty nasty name-calling on the left, too, but the language is not as violent (I read a post at Sadly, No the other day in which the commenters were discussing the adolescent response of some Right-wing bloggers to the Earth Hour thang; how they wanted to leave all their lights on for an hour. Somebody suggested we get the U.N. and others to proclaim a "Don't Stab Yourself In The Eye Day" and see how those folks respond. Is that violent language, or just funny? But I digress. . .).

While I avoid right-wing political blogs, I do have a bad habit of checking in on the denizens of Titus 1:9, a right-wing Blog of an Episcopalian, on occasion. There are comment threads there which make one think that perhaps one is reading a Freeper comment thread. You should see how tough all the talk gets when it comes to guns! But, as TELP says, the level of violent language at these sites, and especially at Viagraville, is not Christian by any stretch of the imagination.

Reading her post reminds me of how careful we must be with language. I don't like to use gender-specific pronouns when speaking about God as I don't believe God has gender, but also because I am the father of daughters and when they were little I realized how they must feel hearing God always referred to by male pronouns. If we are made in God's image, gender-specific language in reference to God goes out the window, at least for me. The Lovely Mona is in a study group who are exploring the use of non-violent language and changing the way one speaks, and she has been showing me where I can be more aware of my own word choices. Using violent and disparaging terms when referring to those who are supposed to be our sisters and brothers in Christ goes against the very commandment of Jesus: love one another.

Thanks, Revda. Elizabeth, for a thought-provoking post. Everybody must go read it!