What other traditions could we...? Yeah, that one.

A comment on the UU Hymnal.

Wow. My sister sent me that link. She highlighted this section, which specifically talks about one of the guidelines that this hymn 'correction' group followed :

Memory bank hymns: whenever possible we will use 'invisible mending' when dealing with difficult language, especially in the first verse. What we mean by 'invisible mending' is language which is not so startling that it obliterates the message; language that makes a difference with out being shocking

I don't understand the following things, I mean, about their basic language issues -

At this point, why butcher the cultural traditions of the hymns any further? Just compose all new ones. Really. Wow. Could you even sing How Great Thou Art to their new version? I mean, lyrically, does it even work with the music?

The thing that frustrates me the most is that they intend to re-cast these hymns to uphold their theological viewpoints. At that point, why bother? You're actually destroying part of the history of the church by doing this, by trying to disclaim or detract from the the expressions of the original artists.

Oh, and humorous response to the 'inclusive version' of the Nicene Creed. It was designed as an exclusive statement! It was designed to define what Christianity was by excluding the theological oddities that were coming in! And we have an 'inclusive version' of it? Good Job, guys. Next you'll be saying that when Christ said, "I am the way, the truth and the life," that it was really, "I am a way, a truth, and some kind of life..."

Oh, wait. Yeah, it's all about changing perceptions subtly enough so people don't realize what's changed.

Just write your own hymns! Quit trying to change ours!