It has been one of those years when you’re not too sure you’re proud to be an evangelical Christian. Back in March of this year, World magazine issued an article on Zondervan Publishing Company’s alleged intent to quietly make the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible “gender neutral” (this term refers to gender-inclusive language [GIL], which means including both genders when a word like “man” is used in its generic sense). A Stealth Bomber was superimposed over a Bible on the World cover. The “feminist agenda” was touted as the power behind the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT) throne. The title, “Femme Fatale,” conjured up ideas of seductive ladies in slinky dresses (not your average conception of the feminist mystique) swooping down in their Stealth Bombers on the austere gentlemen of the CBT. How’s that for a mixed metaphor?

But that is all just the hype, the draw, the “hey, listen up, your children are in danger” lure. Ever get mad at a movie preview when the movie fell far short of its hype? The World article is about backroom conspiratorial conversations between feminist lobbyists and translation scholars. It isn’t about the legitimacy of gender-inclusive language. The World article is mostly about why women cannot be leaders or pastors, and if we let this gender-neutral language in, it means that this doctrine might not be true after all. The article has the effect of propaganda since no argument is advanced to explain how a change in language will change the doctrine. The word “inflammatory” was a popular one with commentators who criticized the article.

My old farmer uncle would say, “City boy, you gotta put the horse in front of the cart if you’re gonna git anywhere.” The horse in this case is the truth, part truth, or untruth of gender-neutral language. If it is true that the English language has changed—to whatever degree—then a valid translation should reflect those changes. For instance, the word “prevent” used in the King James Version of the Bible means something entirely different in our day than in the day of King James. In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, Paul says that “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.” The modern translations use the newer meaning, “precede.”

The other Evangelicals in this story do not fare much better. After the World article, the story forks into three directions. The International Bible Society (owners of the NIV copyright and employers of the CBT) gave meaning to the word “cave-in” when, in a flash, they announced that the NIV would consider no changes in gender language. The CBT was apparently left out on a limb by themselves.

On the next fork in the road, Zondervan contacted the Evangelical Press Association (EPA) believing that the World article was worthy of censure by an ethics committee. The EPA formed a committee which summarily came to a conclusion: The World article used “inflammatory language” and “slanted first-person editorializing.” They went on to say that the article “falls seriously short of upholding the EPA code.” Joe Belz, publisher of World and former president of EPA, threatened to quit the organization. Evangelical discipline came to an impasse. How otherwise could it all end but with another faux pas? The EPA timidly announced that they themselves had not followed their own guidelines in setting up the ethics committee so, never mind.

The third fork was taken by Focus on the Family’s James Dobson, the man who has been so great a help to our families. His immediate reaction was to join World’s fight against the “Femme Fatal.” But somewhere someone caught on that the dark lady had already swooped on his organization. No one had noticed that their Odyssey Bible for children had gender-inclusive language which, in Dobson’s words, was “injecting feminist bias and language into the inspired text.” On the one hand, Focus on the Family offered refunds for all who had purchased the Bibles through them, and on the other called for a meeting of the contending parties to try to hammer out the hard issue of gender-inclusive language. The report of this committee outlined thirteen guidelines to follow in the use of gender-inclusive language. But the pot was too hot. John Stek of CBT said the guidelines “have no standing with us.” But he added, “We will look at them.” Mark Taylor of Tyndale House said the panel’s guidelines wouldn’t influence their New Living Translation, which does use inclusive language in some circumstances. “We’re not going to be bullied into making changes,” said Taylor.

It just hasn’t been a good year for us Evangelicals. But let’s try to get through the rest of 1997 in a loving way. We’ll dig deep in the doctrines of Thanksgiving and Christmas and then on into the New Year. Everything will be new next year. Forgiveness and repentance are the appropriate words for 1997, and wise as serpents, gentle as doves are the words for 1998.