Log In · Register

 

Debate Rules

Here are the general forum rules that you must follow before you start any debate topics. Please make sure you've read and followed all directions.

Debate.

2 Pages V   1 2 >  
 Reply to this topicStart new topic
Is it appropriate to..
coconutter
post Sep 30 2008, 07:35 PM
Post #1


omnomnom
******

Group: Member
Posts: 1,776
Joined: Jul 2005
Member No: 180,688
Capitalize pronouns? For example: when your antecedent is the proper noun God? This is most commonly used in religious texts.

Many Christians have had arguments with me about whether His or Him is correct, and by the rules of grammar, it's not. Even at the beginning of a sentence, because all pronouns need to have antecedents. Anyone have evidence against it? I've always wondered.
 
only-tuesdays
post Sep 30 2008, 09:12 PM
Post #2


Lets Get Dead
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 381
Joined: Apr 2008
Member No: 641,562
I've always been taught that the word God and any words referring to God are capitalized. But that rule only applies God. Kind of a way of showing respect I suppose.
 
ForgiveTheSinner
post Sep 30 2008, 09:39 PM
Post #3


Senior Member
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 786
Joined: Dec 2006
Member No: 488,341
Well I always capitalize God when I write about the Christian God and also Him or His when referring to God. But if it's for another religion's god I don't.

It's just how I was taught.
 
karmakiller
post Sep 30 2008, 10:19 PM
Post #4


DDR \\ I'm Dee :)
*******

Group: Mentor
Posts: 8,662
Joined: Mar 2006
Member No: 384,020
I think it's kinda odd. I mean, we capitalize "I" and days of the week, the month...

I think it has to do with title, really. Like, when you capitalize Uncle and Aunt. Or when you say "Is he with Dad?". The word "God" can be replaced with many things, depending on one's religion. Just like how "Dad" has the possibility of having different names.
 
technicolour
post Sep 30 2008, 11:45 PM
Post #5


show me a garden thats bursting to life
********

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 12,303
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 115,987
Capitalizing God/Him/His was actually in my grammar book in the 7th grade.


mellow.gif


But I believe that the state adopted new textbooks, so, *shrug*.
 
fameONE
post Oct 1 2008, 12:24 AM
Post #6


^_^
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 8,141
Joined: Jan 2005
Member No: 91,466
What if you're not religious at all? What would be the importance of capitalizing anything referring to 'God' if you don't believe in it? I see it as a sign of respect for the religion, if anything, but that's just me.
 
technicolour
post Oct 1 2008, 12:28 AM
Post #7


show me a garden thats bursting to life
********

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 12,303
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 115,987
We capitalize Allah don't we? And Buddha? Being religious for one religion really shouldn't have a say in it; It is more or less about respect. And I pretty much repeated 1/2 of your (^) post. Heh.
 
fameONE
post Oct 1 2008, 12:31 AM
Post #8


^_^
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 8,141
Joined: Jan 2005
Member No: 91,466
QUOTE(technicolour @ Sep 30 2008, 11:28 PM) *
We capitalize Allah don't we? And Buddha? Being religious for one religion really shouldn't have a say in it; It is more or less about respect. And I pretty much repeated 1/2 of your (^) post. Heh.


haha, it's quite alright. Ooo, I might make a spin off topic. But, I can't tell you. I'm going to horde the idea until I'm ready to share it. ^_^
 
technicolour
post Oct 1 2008, 12:33 AM
Post #9


show me a garden thats bursting to life
********

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 12,303
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 115,987
And would this spin off topic entail whether it is correct to capitalize religion's g/Gods?

Now my interest is peaked. laugh.gif
 
brooklyneast05
post Oct 1 2008, 09:57 AM
Post #10


I'm Jc
********

Group: Mentor
Posts: 13,619
Joined: Jul 2006
Member No: 437,556
i don't go out of my way to capitalize it because i don't care. i've known people who get really worked up about how disrespectful it is though. i'd think god has more to deal with than feel disrespected becuase his name got a lower case letter. shrug.gif
 
dannyordinary
post Oct 1 2008, 10:16 AM
Post #11


Senior Member
******

Group: Member
Posts: 1,011
Joined: Jun 2007
Member No: 533,410
QUOTE(brooklyneast05 @ Oct 1 2008, 10:57 AM) *
i don't go out of my way to capitalize it because i don't care. i've known people who get really worked up about how disrespectful it is though. i'd think god has more to deal with than feel disrespected becuase his name got a lower case letter. shrug.gif


haha, i agree. I don't capitalize that either, but I do the days, months, and important events. That's just the way i've been taught.
 
superstitious
post Oct 1 2008, 10:35 AM
Post #12


Tick tock, Bill
*******

Group: Administrator
Posts: 8,764
Joined: Dec 2005
Member No: 333,948
Out of curiosity, I googled "capitalizing god".

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=capitalizing+god

I thought the results were interesting in that several of the top hits were faith based. Funny enough, the first hit was atheism.about.com/od/doesgodexist/a/capitalization.htm.

This makes me think that the rule of capitalizing "God" (if there is such a true rule) is societal rule and not necessarily a grammar rule, per se.
 
Stuckie
post Oct 1 2008, 01:16 PM
Post #13


Ummm... I can't think of anything creative to put here
*****

Group: Human
Posts: 410
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 118,965
I probably read your post wrong, but here we go anyway. Well what I was taught was that God is God's name. And proper grammar is that you would capitalize first letter in someone's name because its a proper noun.
 
brooklyneast05
post Oct 1 2008, 01:20 PM
Post #14


I'm Jc
********

Group: Mentor
Posts: 13,619
Joined: Jul 2006
Member No: 437,556
YAHWEH
 
creole
post Oct 9 2008, 04:57 PM
Post #15


Senior Member
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 4,665
Joined: Aug 2008
Member No: 676,364
Is god really a noun of a person, place or thing? I was taught that if the noun is really a proper location or name, that said have we really proven if there really is "a god?"
 
brooklyneast05
post Oct 9 2008, 05:01 PM
Post #16


I'm Jc
********

Group: Mentor
Posts: 13,619
Joined: Jul 2006
Member No: 437,556
QUOTE(ninjaBeenly @ Oct 9 2008, 04:57 PM) *
Is god really a noun of a person, place or thing? I was taught that if the noun is really a proper location or name, that said have we really proven if there really is "a god?"

so?

we capitalize Sherlock Holmes, Snow White, Bugs Bunny, ect...

haven't we proven there really isn't any of those?
 
only-tuesdays
post Oct 9 2008, 05:20 PM
Post #17


Lets Get Dead
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 381
Joined: Apr 2008
Member No: 641,562
QUOTE
Is god really a noun of a person, place or thing? I was taught that if the noun is really a proper location or name, that said have we really proven if there really is "a god?"


It's a name. It has nothing to do with whether or not God exists. You capitalize names don't you?
 
NoSex
post Oct 9 2008, 06:25 PM
Post #18


in the reverb chamber.
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 4,022
Joined: Nov 2005
Member No: 300,308
god is a shit head
 
sixfive
post Oct 9 2008, 07:04 PM
Post #19



*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 7,020
Joined: May 2008
Member No: 653,768
god is dead
and no one cares
if there is a hell
i'll see you there
 
fameONE
post Oct 10 2008, 03:21 AM
Post #20


^_^
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 8,141
Joined: Jan 2005
Member No: 91,466
QUOTE(kryogenix @ Oct 9 2008, 06:04 PM) *
god is dead
and no one cares
if there is a hell
i'll see you there
 
firechild
post Oct 10 2008, 05:07 PM
Post #21


BBM: 310ED181
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 613
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 671,976
I don't usually capitalize 'god' but maybe that's just my atheism :\
 
towntown2
post Oct 10 2008, 10:04 PM
Post #22


Mais je ne l'aime pas
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 971
Joined: Mar 2005
Member No: 108,135
If you say " a god", then it's not capitalized.
But if you are referring to God--the character and pronoun--then it should be capitalized.

Like "my mother" and "Mother said..."
 
dosomethin888
post Oct 14 2008, 01:01 AM
Post #23


Senior Member
*****

Group: Member
Posts: 944
Joined: Jul 2008
Member No: 663,413
It all depends on what religion you practice. God is capitalized in the Western civilizations... and since the US was founded on Christian principles it is capitilized in all our documents and textbooks. But as the US gets more liberal and stears farther from the Christian faith... people will challenge it and demand that we not capitalize God.
 
fameONE
post Oct 14 2008, 01:26 AM
Post #24


^_^
*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 8,141
Joined: Jan 2005
Member No: 91,466
QUOTE(MolecularStudios @ Oct 10 2008, 04:07 PM) *
I don't usually capitalize 'god' but maybe that's just my atheism :\

rolleyes.gif
 
sixfive
post Oct 14 2008, 09:34 AM
Post #25



*******

Group: Staff Alumni
Posts: 7,020
Joined: May 2008
Member No: 653,768
god fucking damnit
 
« Next Oldest · Debate · Next Newest »
 

2 Pages V   1 2 >
Reply to this topicStart new topic
1 User(s) are reading this topic (1 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users)
0 Members:

 

Display Mode: Standard · Switch to: Linear+ · Switch to: Outline

Track this topic · Email this topic · Print this topic