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Church of England dey explore gender neutral God

76286495 Gathering of Church of England members

Thu, 9 Feb 2023 Source: BBC

Di Church of England go look into how dem go fit use gender neutral terms to refer to God in prayers, but say dem no get plans to abolish current services.

Di issue dey reflect di growing awareness on how di world dey use pronouns wey dey cause offence or upset pipo wey no identify wit di gender wey dem get wen dem mama born dem.

"Christians don recognise since ancient times say God no be man and e no be woman," tok otk pesin for di church say. "Yet di variety of ways of addressing and describing God wey dey for bible no dey always reflect for our worship."

But im add say dem "absolutely no get plans to abolish or noticeably revise" di services and dem no go do any change without "extensive law".

Di comments dey follow one comment for one General Synod, di Church governing body, wia one priest ask about developing more inclusive language in forms wey dey authorised for worship and ask for options for pipo wey no wish to speak of God in "non-gender way".

Di tok tok pesin say interest dey increase to explore new language since di introduction of im forms of service in contemporary language more dan 20 years ago.

Bishop Michael Ipgrave, vice chairman of di Church liturgical commission, say di Church don dey "explore di use gendered language in relation to God for several years".

Di deliberation na di latest attempt by di Church, central to one of di world oldest Christian institutions, to keep up wit di rapidly changing ideas around gender and sexuality in recent years.

Di religious body last month set out proposals wey show say e go refuse to allow same-sex couples marry for im churches, but say priests fit bless dem for church.

E also appologise to LGBTQI+ pipo for di rejection and hostility wey dem bin face.

Di Church Faith and Order Commission – wey in work na to advise on theology – go work wit di liturgical commission on looking at questions around gender terms, di tok tok pesin add.

Source: BBC