The Methodist Church of Great Britain called on its ministers to stop using terminology such as “husband” and “wife” to avoid offending same-sex couples.
The proposed changes were added to the church’s “Inclusive Language Guide,” which aims to prevent the use of “hurtful language” towards “marginalized and/or demonized by a common culture.”
The church also plans to update the Inclusive Language Guide every six months.
The Church Institute reported:
In sections addressing ‘gender identity’, the guide claimed that “using a person’s chosen pronouns is helpful as it honours their identity”, noting that those of “different genders may choose to use a gender-neutral title such as Mx”.
It added:
“Language such as ‘brothers and sisters’, while intended to be inclusive and friendly, doesn’t take into account our non-binary friends.”
The guidance directed congregations to controversial LGBT activist groups Stonewall and GLAAD for further information.
The church urged its leaders to use terms such as “partner,” “child,” and “parent” to recognize that “relationships come in many varied expressions.”
.@MethodistGB brands terms 'husband' and 'wife' offensive.
— Fr Calvin Robinson (@calvinrobinson) December 28, 2023
This is not Christianity. It is Critical Theories: ‘smash heteronormativity.’
It is no longer enough to acknowledge disordered lifestyles. Everything normative and ordered must be demolished for fear of causing offence. pic.twitter.com/8OaUgMH6Nc
The guidance also addressed the issue of gender identity, which read: “Using a person’s chosen pronouns is helpful as it honors their identity.”
It also warned followers against using “Language such as ‘brothers and sisters,’ while intended to be inclusive and friendly, doesn’t take into account our non-binary friends.”
As Breitbart noted: Uses of the terms “husband” and “wife” and guidance for their duties to each other and the family abound in the Bible. Such as in Ephesians 5: 33 (NIV), which states, “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”
The outlet continued:
“The Methodist Church also runs afoul of Biblical teachings on the issues of gender identity and same-sex marriage. Such as in Mark 10: 6-9(NIV), which says:
“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
READ: Italian Church Faces Backlash for “Blasphemous” Same Sex Nativity
