Question re They'll Know We Are Christians

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Today (Pentecost 2018) our Recessional Hymn was “They’ll Know We Are Christians.” Our Worship Aid did not provide us any information about this hymn, so I had to look it up. Apparently this was composed by Fr. Peter R. Scholtes while he was the parish priest at St. Brendan’s in Chicago in the Sixties. Later, he left the priesthood, took a wife, and lived in Wisconsin.

My question has to do with the third verse (as it appeared in our Worship Aid, which is recycled weekly):

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we’ll guard human’s dignity and save human’s pride

That second part (which was the last thing we sang today at the end of Mass), left me scratching my head. I’ve heard of “human dignity” but I am confused by “human’s dignity”; is there a difference?

But the real puzzler for me was the part where we declare that we will “save human’s pride.” I am unable to determine what that might mean; in a Catholic context, it seems strange to think of Pride, a deadly sin, as something that needs to be saved. The author must have meant something else. What are your thoughts on this verse?

Thank you in advance!
 
I am thinking this refers not to the vice of pride but really to the social pride of a human being, basically reiterating that dignity must be preserved. Given the end-of-life issues with both disabled children lately it would seem a very appropriate line.
 
Xanthippe_Voorhees that makes sense. So perhaps the author, certainly not intending Pride in the sense of St. John Vianney (“Pride is that accursed sin which drove the angels out of paradise, and hurled them into Hell. This sin began with the world…”), was using the word Pride in an effort to poetically convey a sense of respect for the intrinsic worth - the sacredness - of human beings.
 
Mi_Rose that helps immensely. Someone then has updated the original language and perhaps imperfectly. Thanks!
 
Songs are a form of poetry. The author is taking a bit of license with the word in order to make a rhyming couplet.
 
That’s the first time I’ve seen it updated that way. Usually I see it as guard people’s dignity and save each person’s pride.
 
We still sing “man’s” as we use the old CBW II which was published in 1980 before inclusive language became a thing.
 
The_Square_Circle said:
heard of “human dignity” but I am confused by “human’s dignity”; is there a difference?
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The actual lyrics are “each man’s dignity and save each man’s pride.”

However, some don’t understand that “man” does not generally imply gender in English (only when indicated by the context), and think it has to be changed.

This is nothing next to the politically corrected, non-violent Battle Hymn of the Republic . . . 😱

hawk
 
I pray every day that “They will know we are Christians by our love.”
At times, we all seem to struggle a bit to not judge others and to forgive others.
May we learn to love and serve our brothers and sisters as we give glory to God. Amen
 
Pride has different definitions. From a dictionary:
  1. a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
  2. the state or feeling of being proud.
  3. a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
#1 is the sin. #3 is what this song is going for, I believe.
 
Each to his or her interpretation. I see the song as being about love.
 
I agree. I was just talking about the one line that uses “pride” in a positive way (ie it doesn’t mean the sin).
 
Well, it is about love - which is not a feeling, but rather is a choice to work for and support the best in another, And that includes one’s enemies, and requires us to respect the individual…

It all seemed a lot clearer to us when it was introduced, and before someone had a Gloria Steinem fit of pique and political correctness. Sadly, the change leaves one with a more disassembled, nebulous and obfuscatory goal of supporting all humans’ dignity, rather than that of the individual with whom we have contact.
 
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