# Why Do Some People Capitalize Words That Refer to God? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264 "2004-04-27T12:16:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/1 "2004-04-27T12:16:21Z")
Admittedly not everyone does it. And to be honest, I haven’t seen someone go out of their way to do it for a while. But some people at some time used to capitalize **every word** in a sentence that referred to God. Usually though, this just meant capitalizing the pronouns that refer to God: “God and all His creation”, for example. Why do/did people do this? Where did it originate? And also something I have wondered for some time now: would it be considered disrespectful by some **not** to do this? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/2 "2004-04-27T13:09:52Z")
I always assumed it was out of respect. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/3 "2004-04-27T13:13:30Z")
It’s a sign of respect. If you’re a God-fearing person, you may feel compelled to use capitalization when using words related to God. Or, you may not. There’s no hard-and-fast rules on it, IIRC. If you’re not a God-fearing person, no one is going to jump down your throat for not using capitalization for words relating to God. (Of course, if you’re talking about the Judeo-Christian God, you should probably capitalize, “God” being a proper name and all). I generally capitalize, but then again the only time it would be really necessary would be if I were writing something that would be read by other God-fearers. An article in a church newsletter, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/4 "2004-04-27T13:20:49Z")
In the final chapter of “Rosemary’s Baby,” whenever Rosemary refers to her son, it’s not capitalized. Whenever a member of the coven refers to Him or the Child, it is capitalized. That tickles me. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/5 "2004-04-27T13:27:25Z")
> [@Jim B.](#): > > Why do/did people do this? Where did it originate? And also something I have wondered for some time now: would it be considered disrespectful by some **not** to do this? Maybe, depending on context and on your readership. As **clairobscur** said, it was first done out of reverence, and with time the vast majority of languages using the Roman alphabet adopted it as the standard style, many of them even as an actual written grammar rule. Since the pronoun takes the place of the noun, in the case of the deity it shares the reverential style. English not having a French- or Spanish-style _Real Academia_ body that sets down “official” rules of what is or is not THE way to write the language, it has always given its writers more flexibility to disregard style rules. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/6 "2004-04-27T13:55:34Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > … (Of course, if you’re talking about the Judeo-Christian God, you should probably capitalize, “God” being a proper name and all). … Is ‘God’ really a proper name? I think of it as a job title that’s used instead of a proper name. ---
**Author:** ![Ross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/7 "2004-04-27T13:58:41Z")
I seem to remember that some Muslims argue for ‘Allah’ (ie. ‘God’) being a proper name God has given himself. In monotheistic religions the capitalisation is useful for distinguishing between the one God, and all the pretend gods. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/8 "2004-04-27T14:11:31Z")
> [@tschild](#): > > Is ‘God’ really a proper name? I think of it as a job title that’s used instead of a proper name. The name of the Judeo-Christian God is Yahweh or Jehovah, depending upon whom you ask. But most Christians, and as far as I know many (most?) Jews, just say “God.” (Of course, many Jews use “G-d” as a sign of even further reverence). ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/9 "2004-04-27T14:29:35Z")
> [@Jim B.](#): > > Admittedly not everyone does it. And to be honest, I haven’t seen someone go out of their way to do it for a while. But some people at some time used to capitalize **every word** in a sentence that referred to God. I assume from the style in which you worded the thread title you mean that in a sentence which refers to God, every word would be capitalized. I can’t say I have ever seen that, so I wouldn’t know. If instead you mean that in a sentence someone would capitalize every word which referred to God (in other words, nouns and prnouns referencing God), then others have answered your question. Here are my reasons: [ul] [li]A sign of respect[/li][li]Use of God in place of a name (Jews and early Christians didn’t just lightly use Yahweh, Jehovah, or the tetragrammaton.)[/li][li]Common courtesy[/li][li]Ease of distinguishing God from something like the Greek or Roman pagan gods.[/li][/ul] RR ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/10 "2004-04-27T15:59:27Z")
I have occasionally seen this convention used in English language texts about non-Abrahamic religions as well. For example, the author of _[A Young People’s Life of the Buddha](http://hjem.get2net.dk/civet-cat/theravada-writings/life-of-buddha/life-of-buddha-part2.htm)_, capitalizes the pronouns referring to the Buddha–but only after [H/h]is enlightenment. > [@](#): > > [pre-enlightenment] > > Thus did Siddhattha’s thoughts torment him on that great night when **he** sat down beneath the Bodhi Tree to seek the way of deliverance from birth and death, tormenting **him** with the keen memory of the pleasures **he** had left behind, with doubts about **his** power ever to find what **he** sought, with uncertainty about whether **he** was seeking it in the right way. > … > > [post-enlightenment] > > For now **He** had penetrated the real true meaning of life through and through from its root upward. Now **He** knew how and why men were born and died again and again, and how they might cease thus to suffer repeated birth and death. But the first thing **He** saw clearly with **His** new and penetrating insight this night as **He** sat meditating under the Bodhi Tree, was the long line of **His** own lives and deaths through ages after ages, in all kinds of bodies, in all kinds of conditions of life, low and high, humble and exalted, gross and refined, until at last **He** was born in this present life as the son of King Suddhodana and Queen Mahamaya. > > Bolding added And the author of this [page](http://www.ramayana.com/holy_places.htm) discussing holy places in India uses upper case pronouns when referring to the Hindu deity Rama (although I note that pronouns referring to Hanuman are _not_ capitalized): > [@](#): > > It is said that at Jata Teertham, Sri Rama washed **His** hair to get rid of any sins that **He** might have incurred in the battle at Lanka > > Again, bolding added ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/11 "2004-04-27T16:12:57Z")
> [@](#): > > The name of the Judeo-Christian God is Yahweh or Jehovah, depending upon whom you ask. But most Christians, and as far as I know many (most?) Jews, just say “God.” (Of course, many Jews use “G-d” as a sign of even further reverence). According to God himself, his name is, “I AM”, of course… ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/12 "2004-04-27T16:28:13Z")
Don’t forget that many people capitalize pronouns that refer to Jesus as well. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/13 "2004-04-27T19:26:48Z")
According to The Gregg Reference Manual (sixth edition): > [@](#): > > a. Capitalize all references to a supreme being. > God > the Lord > the Supreme Being > the Messiah > the Almighty > the Holy Spirit > Allah > Yahweh > > b. Capitalize personal pronouns referring to a supreme being when they stand alone, without an antecedent nearby. > Offer thanks to Him. > BUT: Ask the Lord for his blessing. > > c. Capitalize references to persons revered as divine. > the Apostles > the Blessed Virgin > Buddha > the Prophet > John the Baptist > Saint Peter ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/14 "2004-04-27T19:44:39Z")
Wouldn’t a snazzy font (along with capitalization) show even more respect? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/15 "2004-04-27T20:20:33Z")
> [@](#): > > a. Capitalize all references to a supreme being. Shouldn’t that be " a. Capitalize all references to a Supreme Being."? I never realized that **Gaudere** reached so far. As for that Rule c, all of those just look to me like special cases of “capitalize proper nouns”. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/16 "2004-04-27T20:29:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Shouldn’t that be " a. Capitalize all references to a Supreme Being."? I never realized that **Gaudere** reached so far. That struck me to, but I copied it faithfully. I suspect it’s akin to the difference between a specific God, or a generic god. A specific Supreme Being vs a generic supreme being. I notice that their example says “_the_ Supreme Being”. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/17 "2004-04-27T21:19:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As for that Rule c, all of those just look to me like special cases of “capitalize proper nouns”. I’m still wondering about the rule itself. If we’re supposed to “capitalize references to persons revered as divine,” the immediate question that occurred to me was, “Revered as divine by whom?” The author? The intended audience? Or can any lunatic fringe cult leader qualify under Rule C just by virtue of having a few followers in tinfoil hats who revere him as divine? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-people-capitalize-words-that-refer-to-god/242264/18 "2004-04-28T01:47:13Z")
The Roman Catholic Church (in English speaking countries), which used to be quite diligent in capitalizing the pronouns referring to God no longer does so. In all of its current official pronouncements, catechisms, codes of law, and liturgical books, the pronouns are now all smaller case for God (I think she likes it that way). Peace.