September 23, 2015

We live in a culture where “men” means “male” everywhere but in church. Even most of the pastors who use such language when they’re preaching, don’t use it in their everyday life. And I’m not just talking about older, traditionalist pastors, either. I’ve heard it from hipster pastors preaching from their iPad with untucked V-neck shirts and faux-hawks.

Here are eight reasons we need to stop using “men” when we mean “people”:

1. It’s Not Accurate

“Men” means males. “Women” means females. “People” means both genders.

It’s not a political or theological statement to use specific, correct terms.

2. It’s Not How People Communicate Any More

If you’re my age (mid-50s) or older and you’ve been in church forever, you can automatically transpose “men” into “people” when you hear a sermon.

But anyone under 40 or new to the church thinks “males” when they hear “men”, just like we all do in our everyday lives outside the church.

I’m not suggesting we get ourselves caught up in some PC language pretzel by neutralizing bible verses or changing historical quotes like “all men are created equal.” But when we’re speaking with our own voice, let’s use the same recognizable language patterns in church that we use everywhere else.