There has been a lot of social media hubbub about Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s recent prayer in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he closed with “amen and awoman,” apparently striving to be gender inclusive. He omitted atransgender.
Cleaver, D-Mo., is an ordained United Methodist who pastored a church in Kansas City for many years. His two-minute prayer was otherwise conventional, full of biblical references and King James cadences – until the very end, when he appealed to the “monotheistic God,” the Hindu creator deity “Brahma,” and the “god known by many different names and many different faiths.”
(Read the rest of the rest of the article here.)
Comment by Kenneth Cohen on January 4, 2021 at 3:31 pm
The English word “amen” is derived from the Hebrew “אמן” and means “so be it.” It has nothing to do with a pronoun for gender. Perhaps the pastor was trying to be cute?
Incidentally, I have always found the Christian practice of saying “amen” to one’s own prayers to be “off.”. The word is intended to be a response to the prayer of others.
Comment by Lil B on January 4, 2021 at 4:07 pm
Amen !!
Comment by td on January 4, 2021 at 4:24 pm
Unfortunately, this is all too typical for UMC clergy- always striving to be provocative. “He” couldn’t just leave it at having a nice solid prayer; no, “he” had to get you thinking about men vs women.
I have seen these same clergy wearing umc logo shirts that say “break all the rules”- produced, of course, after the special general conference where didn’t get their way. They are inclusive and respectful of everyone except those with which they disagree.
Comment by floyd lee on January 4, 2021 at 4:29 pm
2020 was a bad year for Christianity. But Cleaver’s misguided attempt at political correctness, suggests that 2021 won’t be any better.
Comment by Kenneth L Cohen on January 4, 2021 at 5:25 pm
The word “Amen” has nothing to do with gender in the original Shebrew.
Comment by Carl on January 4, 2021 at 5:26 pm
Unfortunately, most main stream clubs, I mean denominations, have been influenced and transformed by our culture. It is a shame as they makes followers “twice as fit for hell, as they are themselves”.
Comment by David on January 5, 2021 at 6:43 am
With the same flawed understanding of language, we might think that “woman” has something to do with males because “man” is in it. As is more apparent in German, it simply means “person” and not gender. A woman can properly be called a “chairman” or even “congressman.”
Comment by Rev. Dr. Lee D Cary (ret. UM clergy) on January 5, 2021 at 10:04 am
This is a fine article. Thank you.
Whatever the setting, virtue signaling is faux piety. And boring.
Comment by James (Jim) Hewett, Ph.D on January 5, 2021 at 12:35 pm
Mr Cohen nailed the matter. Period, “‘Nuff said’.”
It is a sad comment on our too often displayed level of understanding of the Word.
Would that we all were as sensitive to God’s Word as we seem to be to the world’s ideas of propriety.
Comment by don simpson on January 5, 2021 at 3:59 pm
This is why most preachers shouldn’t be politicians and why this preacher shouldn’t be a preacher. It makes me embarrassed to be a United Methodist minister.
Comment by Robert Munday on January 5, 2021 at 4:33 pm
The most problematic part of that prayer is not the amen/awoman silliness, it is an ordained Christian clergyperson praying “in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and ‘God’ known by many names by many different faiths.” Rep. Cleaver is an ordained United Methodist minister with an MDiv from a United Methodist Seminary. He knows better; but he is simply illustrating what happens when political correctness and social justice virtue signaling trump the truth, logic, and reason.
Comment by John Smith on January 6, 2021 at 10:09 am
It all made sense once I learned he was an ordained UMC elder.
Comment by Star Tripper on January 6, 2021 at 12:38 pm
The time for reasonable discussion is quickly closing out so be ready.
Comment by John Smith on January 6, 2021 at 7:29 pm
On the more serious side these are the people running the government and the denomination.
Comment by Loren J Golden on January 7, 2021 at 4:51 pm
“Mr Cohen nailed the matter.”
Actually, that should be “Rabbi Cohen”.