capitalise

[melw]

I am writing a prayer to God. I know God and Father and that is capitalised, but what about You, Your, and things like that. I know they used to have it in capitals. Now some do and some don't. What do you think should be done? What is acceptable

MEL

[kerrig]

I've mostly seen it with them capitalized. Now, in my Complete Jewish Bible they are not but I think it would be up to you.

[Timber Wolf]

KJV didn't use caps. I believe other versions do today. I capitalize (or capitalise) His, You, etc.

[Katharine]

New International Version and English Standard Version don't capitalize, but New American Standard does. When I'm writing -- whether in my journal or for publication, I prefer to capitalize every pronoun referring to God (You included.) For me, it cuts out any questions as to who's Who, but I'm pretty sure that's not strictly proper English.

[lynnmosher]

I"m with TW and Katharine. To me, it somehow seems disrespectful not to capitalize the pronouns referring to God. And as Katharine said, it sometimes does clarify the One to Whom you are referring.

[Tamera]

For personal and non-fiction works, I always capitilize. However, most fiction publishers do not, so I try to avoid it when I'm writing novels. It was hard to get use to at first. But as some have already said, some versions of the Bible don't capitilize, and they're not being disrespectful.

[lynnmosher]

Sorry, I guess I didn't state that clear enough. Sheesh! I've done it again, haven't I? When I said to me, I meant it seems disrespectful for me if I do not capitalize. I know it is a personal preference and doesn't bother some. Sorry 'bout that!

[Tamera]

Don't worry, Lynn. I didn't take any offense. I was talking about the reasoning I was using for me. At one time, I worried about it being disrespectful.

[lynnmosher]

I'm sure it would be difficult not to capitalize, especially if you are accustomed to doing it. In novels, it does make sense.

[Tarin]

Ultimately, it probably depends on what your editor wants. It used to be that capitalization of divine pronouns was the rule, but nowadays more and more people seem to be sliding away from it. Personally, I prefer to cling to the caps: my God is definitely a capital "D" deity. Here's a thread (http://christianwriters.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15780&highlight=divine+pronouns)on started on the subject a few months back.

[Lookin^Up]

Personally, I've always felt that capitalizing divine pronouns was a form of worship, a reverence that is reserved for God and no one else. To profane it (make it common) with lower case is not necessarily blasphemous as much as losing sight of what capitalization is supposed to mean.

While it's true neither Hebrew nor Greek used such a convention, in today's world where the sacred is being profaned on a regular basis, I think it's important to make a distinction. That's why, in my stories, references to God are capitalized and references to other deities are not. Pronouns referring to God or Jesus (even if He's known by a slightly different name on another planet) get the capital H or Y as needed. In a prayer, I've even been known to capitalize "name" (as in "the Name of Jesus").

Bottom line, neither way is actually wrong; it's a personal preference. What I have written above are my reasons for capitalization. It just seems more respectful to me to do it, and therefore I do, but I don't fault any other writer--whether translator, non-fiction, or fiction--for not doing it.

[kriswrite]

Each publisher has different preferences. The Christian Writer's Manual of Style says not to capitalize.

Kristina

[DearPrudence]

I use capitals sparingly, on the standard words I always do (like God), but on pronouns and various verbs, I try for the most impactful opprotunity, or needed clarity, but it has a lot to do with the individual piece --
so a rule, I keep to the formal address, then look at the rest (like your(s), ways, him, etc...)

[Rachel E.]

Personally, I capitalize all pronouns related to God. You included. But that is just me...

[kshsj777]

I also capitalize all pronouns referring to God: Him, His, He, You, Who, My, Mine etc. I also capitalize names that refer to God like the Light, the Truth, the Holy One, the One, the Treasure. I also capitalize any adjectives that refer to God, like Blessed Treasure, the Omnipotent One, all the other omnis, and as stated before the Holy One etc.

I also capitalize organization/groups, like the Separatists, the Obeis-Rei, the Society, etc even though it doesn't refer to God.

[kshsj777]

For personal and non-fiction works, I always capitilize. However, most fiction publishers do not, so I try to avoid it when I'm writing novels. It was hard to get use to at first. But as some have already said, some versions of the Bible don't capitilize, and they're not being disrespectful.

Well for me, I just couldn't do it. I want my novels published with the pronouns capitalized. If not, I'd rather they weren't published. Not saying that it's bad for other people not capitalize, but in my thinking, I just couldn't do that.

As LU said, it's like worship. It's my way of saying "PAY ATTENTION!!!! This is the God I'm talking about here."

[Tarin]

Beyond just the conviction of honoring God through His pronouns, the words you capitalize are often dictated by the story itself. For instance, in my Crusade novel, which is set during a time when religion played a much more inherent (and even superstitious) role in people's lives, I capitalized even words I wouldn't usually capitalize, such as Heaven, Hell, Church, etc. In my WIP, I don't capitalize certain words until my narrator begins to think of them in a light that would warrant capitalization. Something to keep in mind is that, in most POVs, the words we put on the page are reflective of our characters' views, not our own. If, for example, you happened to be writing from the POV of an atheist, capitalizing divine pronouns would be completely out of place.