DISABILITY IN OUR RELIGIOUS LANGUAGE


There is no denying the fact, however, that the negative imagery of blindness and deafness has entered into our hymn books, often simply because of references to the Bible but reinforced by our everyday negative language. 


One example is the hymn 'Amazing Grace':


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.


Let us suppose that we changed the words as follows:


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, T
hat brought me to the light.

I once was lost but now am found,

Was black, but now I'm white.


Would this not be an outrageous example of racial prejudice? Would we not be ashamed to be asked to sing it? Then why do we not see that the line 'was blind but now I see' is equally negative towards blind people in equating their condition with unbelief, ignorance and sin? It is because society has been sensitized towards racism but the largely unconscious prejudice against disabled people is still unchallenged.



— Disability: The Inclusive Church Resource by John Hull


Learn more about Inclusive Church UK and their focus on Disability.