Estimations vary, but there are approximately one million words in the English language, though most dictionaries include between two hundred thousand and five hundred thousand or so of them. The average person has a vocabulary of between 10,000 and 30,000 words.
Of those in the available lexicon, there are profane and crass words and terms that Christians should never use, of course, but there are also five more that believers should banish from their vocabulary.
Scripture has something important to say about the power of the words we use, specifically noting that how we choose to communicate can be consequential not only in our own lives, but also influence those around us.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits,” wrote King Solomon (Proverbs 18:21). He also noted, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).
Historically, Christians have put a high value on communicating clearly and truthfully. We should say what we mean and mean what we say. Writing to believers in Corinth who were debating the matter of speaking in tongues, the Apostle Paul wisely noted that it’s impossible for anyone to know what you’re saying if you’re not speaking intelligibly. In fact, he likened it to “speaking into the air” (1 Cor. 14:9).
But good communication isn’t simply about being heard audibly, but also about being understood. We can best accomplish that by choosing our words carefully and deliberately. Speaking plainly and truthfully trumps the use of big flowery words that are vague or downright misleading.
Which brings us to five terms Christians should never use:
The first two: “trans man” and/or “trans woman.”
The primary reason we shouldn’t be using these terms is because neither a “trans man” nor a “trans woman” exists. They’re fantastical creations of a delusional ideology. A so-called “trans woman” is a man who thinks he’s a woman. A “trans man” is a woman who thinks she’s a man.
Big media requires their writers to use the terms, so we’re regularly subjected to seeing them in print. Focus on the Family prioritizes God’s truth and the exclusivity of two immutable and unchanging sexes, so you won’t see those terms in any of our publications.
Focus on the Family’s Glenn Stanton has debated this issue on college campuses and has written extensively about it. In a Daily Citizen essay, he noted that many well-meaning folks say the terms should be used to spare the feelings of the sexually confused. But Glenn correctly states, “Compassion doesn’t require saying untrue things.”
He added:
“People do have the right to choose their own identity and live by it the best they can. That is called individual autonomy. However, no one has the right to demand that everyone else agree with that identity.
“Some may choose to use new preferred pronouns and names for the sake of personal relationship. But no one should be forced to say things they know to be untrue. Not even about what it means to be male or female. That is forced speech.”
The other terms Christians should avoid using are an oldie and two emerging new ones – but phrases some believers regularly let slide into their vocabulary: “pro-choice,” “abortion rights,” and “reproductive rights.”
Prior to the emergence of the “Right to Life” movement following the Supreme Court’s horrific 1973 decision legalizing abortion in all fifty states, advocates for abortion were known as “abortion rights” advocates or “pro-abortion” activists.
The term “pro-choice” emerged as a public relations ploy to counter the pro-life surge.
In recent years, “abortion rights” and “reproductive rights” are the newest euphemisms used to try and socially soften the reality of what radical activists are defending and championing: the killing of innocent pre-born life.
C.S. Lewis once gave writing advice to a young girl in Florida that applies to Christians as they navigate communication involving both abortion and the sexually confused.
“Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean, and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else,” Lewis wrote. “Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one.”
In summation, watch and cultivate your words carefully – and avoid these five terms: trans woman, trans man, pro-choice, abortion rights, and reproductive rights.