Christians and Preferred Pronouns: A Dialogue [Think Biblically Podcast]

Should Christians use preferred pronouns? What is at stake in this question? How can Christians navigate relationships when people want them to use preferred pronouns? In this longer-than-usual podcast, Sean and Biola communications professor Tim Muehlhoff discuss these questions and more. In co-writing their book End the Stalemate, Sean and Tim realized they have much in common, but also some practical and biblical differences about how and when to use (and not use) preferred pronouns. They aim to model a healthy dialogue about a contentious issue.

[@gabbyz6716]

Really love the dialogue! Both of the speakers have a strong passion for sharing the Gospel and a heart to win people for God. The conversation reflected the complexity of the culture and the challenges of living a faithful Christian life in the current age.

[@DrKRMc22]

So disappointing, but sadly not surprising. It’s really not about promoting “communication” once we are required to compromise truth under the guise of empathy. To use the example of Paul & Timothy and circumcision to even vaguely support the use of preferred pronouns is terrible exegesis. We can still be compassionate and gracious to other image bearers without compromising.

[@stephencoakley]

The circumcision example isn't really a parallel in my mind. As 1 Corinthians 7 says, "circumcision is nothing", so there's nothing wrong with being circumcised, so that's why it wasn't a problem to remove that barrier. If indeed we can say that using a preferred pronoun is affirming a falsehood, then that is very different than doing something that is morally benign in order to improve a conversation.

[@nathanwhite7765]

If you use there pronouns its useless talking to them. They have a different vocabulary there words mean totally different things. They could read the bible and still not get it. They to far lost

[@DavyBambino]

Prof Muehlhoff what would your top 3 reasons be when you said “I’d give pushback” re: pushed into a corner and you must use preferred pronouns?

[@worm75]

When Prof Muehlhoff referred to Jenner as "she", multiple times, I wish he would have been able to explain why he did so. This laid bare one of Sean's main points! That when using this false language, the worldview could begin to be seep in. If my kids were listening to this with me they no doubt would have been confused as to why a man was being referred to as "she". We're confused as to why a believer would use the language, in public, when speaking to another believer.

[@tedcatranis]

I am leaning strongly toward Sean's point of view for a couple reasons. Many conversations are not initiated the way Tim suggests. It would be nice if they did, but they don't. Often the conversation is more of an authoritarian situation in which the person now desiring transgender pronouns is demanding complete acceptance and support for something that began only weeks or months earlier. To say that many of the young people are legitimately in experiencing dysphoria is a stretch. We all know that a powerful social contagion is rapidly altering the minds of many young people through academia and social media. Otherwise, we would never witness that extreme rapidity of change. In the mind of a parent, accepting the pronouns of your child is close to accepting the loss of that child. Also, we are too quick to accept and change our minds without any willingness on the part of a young person to grasp the magnitude what the parent is experiencing in the conversation. That is no small emotional challenge. Communication involves sender, receiver, and feedback. Both must consider the viewpoint of the other person.
Too many times, good natured people feel pressured to quickly acquiesce o alternative viewpoint when made to feel uncomfortable. Uncomfortable does not mean we must change. I decided years ago that if I were going to change my opinion on a person or idea, that I would need to completely know why; and I would not change my reasoning based on someone else’s sudden change or discomfort.

[@johnmark2927]

Amazing how woke Biola has become.