It Came from the Risen Consciousness

 

 

 



In his blog Clergy Confidential, Father Tim Schenck writes that in the diocese of Connecticut a resolution has been proposed to “mandate the elimination of gendered titles for priests.”  (“Hello, Mother, Hello Father” September 26, 2014.)  http://clergyconfidential.blogspot.com   This means not using “Mother” or “Father” as a courtesy title.  The reason this is a bad thing is that the use of “Father” for males comes from the old patriarchal church structure and addressing female priests as “Mother” supposedly reinforces this by giving a different title to females, instead of having a one- name-fits all honorific.

Of course there are options:  Reverend, Pastor, Vicar and probably others.  If the resolution should pass, there would be plenty of things to call the person who is your spiritual advisor and whatever else he or she is to you.  Father Tim says he really doesn’t care what people call him, and he thinks that most priests don’t.  When I was a Presbyterian, ministers were either Dr. or Mr.  (If there were any women, they would be Dr., Mrs., or Miss.  Ms. was not yet an option.)  When I became a Unitarian, like everyone else, I called the ministers by their first names.

But this raises the question of what to call the laity.  Usually, everyone goes by first names, but just in case the occasion is more formal, what do you do?  Mr., Mrs., Miss, and Ms. are gender specific and reflect the bad old days of the patriarchy, when women were considered property and had no rights or protection. 

How about Congregant Smith or Parishioner Jones or Christian Miller?  Maybe it would remind people of the French Revolution when everybody was “Citizen” or the Communist party where everyone was “Comrade”.  This did not stop them from killing each other, but at least they had linguistic equality.

 

And speaking of gender specificity, have you ever heard God referred to as She?  I am embarrassed to say that it always surprises me to hear it.  Of course I don’t have a problem with it, since I am Open-Minded and Liberal, but I still think it sounds weird.  I am working on getting over it.

But I can’t help wondering if God should really be referred to in any way that also refers to humans.  How about an all-inclusive pronoun, like shim (she and him) and for the possessive shis (she and his)?  Or why not It?  You have to be sure to write it with only one t so as not to confuse the deity with Cousin Itt Addams, but I think it might work.  And maybe it might spread to be used to refer to anyone, eliminating the awkward he or she.

And while they’re at it, maybe the linguists could think up a word to be used for addressing more than one person, when “y’all” won’t do?  And how do you form the possessive of “you guys”?
And what about single words for “aunts and uncles” and “nieces and nephews”?

There’s probably a tenured job or department chairpersonship in it.

 



 

 

A Look at Popular Culture

Since my accident, I have been spending a lot of time watching television.  I don’t know why.   You would think I’d read.  Maybe I’ve been conditioned to only read on public transportation or in waiting rooms.  Anyway, to get something positive out of it, I decided to try some “literary criticism.”

Law and Order Special Victims Unit:  This a dark, dark show.  Nothing seems to happen in bright light.   The cops as tragic antiheroes, often alone, or if they have relationships they are about to lose them. The crimes are horrible and sometimes grotesque.  I can only ask, how could I have spent six hours at one sitting watching this?  But how about that campy episode with Ann Margret, Jacklyn Smith, and Morgan Fairchild?

 

 

Two and a Half Men:  This has turned out to be another dark show, in spite of the humor.  Charlie leads an empty, hedonistic life and enjoys it thoroughly.  At the beginning of the series, Alan is a hardworking chiropractor who has been thrown out of the house by his bitch of a wife.  He is bled dry by alimony and child support and deteriorates into a parasite living off his brother.  When Charlie is killed (thrown under a train by his stalker lover because she had caught him fooling around), Alan sponges off the billionaire who bought Charlie’s house.  Charlie and Alan’s mother is constantly criticizing her sons and grandson and then complains that nobody loves her.  It’s really the story of Alan’s fall, so far.  Maybe there will be some redemption during the final season.  I still love some of the episodes like the investigation of Evelyn’s new husband’s death.

 

Sex and the City:  I can’t help but wonder (as Carrie says – she should know better) what it must be like to be able to spend over $400.00 on a pair of shoes.  I like all the women, but sometimes I’d like to shake them.  (Particularly Carrie and Miranda.  Charlotte and, oddly enough, Samantha seem to be the best adjusted;  they know what they want.) When I asked some friends who they identified with, they looked sheepish and said “Charlotte.” (The one who wants to get married and have children.)  I identify with her, too.

 

Keeping Up with the Kardashians:  Another chance to vicariously wallow in money and stuff and to feel superior because you know what is more important.  And here are people who are better off materially than you are, so you don’t have to feel guilty about your life and sorry for them.  And what’s up with Bruce?

 

How I Met Your Mother: A group buddy show (but not at all like Seinfeld), it brings back memories of your old friends and your youthful craziness.  This is one of the most positive sitcoms.  Everyone is looking for not only love, but marriage.  Unlike the Sex and the City women, the characters have families.  Birth, death, marriage – it’s all there.

 

I’m sure there must be a doctoral dissertation on popular culture here.  Or at least a master’s thesis.