Politically correct Christmas carols....

Gee, what next???

Christmas carols are being re-written to make them politically correct, a music teacher has claimed.

Nic Robinson was surprised to find the words to Hark! The Herald Angels Sing have been changed to be 'gender inclusive' by removing the words 'man', 'men' and 'sons'.

Attending a carol service at his 13-year-old daughter Hannah's school, he noticed that in verse two the line 'Pleased as man with man to dwell' was changed to 'Pleased with us in flesh to dwell' on the printed sheet.

Then in the next verse the lines 'Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of Earth, Born to give them second birth' were changed to 'Born that we no more may die, Born to raise us from the earth, Born to give us second birth.'

Mr Robinson, 45, of Littleover, Derby, said: 'It's completely unnecessary in my opinion. I don't know any women who feel belittled the use of the word 'man' or 'son'.

'Nowadays, however, there is a section of society that says everything has to conform to this bizarre gender-inclusive business.

'It's such a shame that things which are so well established are being changed for no reason at all. It makes me angry because I love the traditions around Christmas and the church.'

He added: 'Some people only go to church at Christmas and even if they find the words have been mucked about with they will feel more disenfranchised than usual.'

Mr Robinson said he did not know who changed the words, which were printed on a sheet at the carol service, or which book of carols they were taken from.

'I am sure some bishop will write now, explaining, kindly, that hymns have been evolving throughout the ages and that this one, in particular, has known many versions,' he said.

'May I ask the bishop not to bother, but rather to spend his time in contacting the people who have defaced my favourite carol. They need to be told of one glaring omission in their revision, namely the line which follows the one quoted above. This should surely now read 'Jesus our Epersonuel'.

A survey carried out by Ship of Fools, a satirical Christian website, found that many churches now sing 'Glory to the Christ child, bring' in the same carol, rather than the better-known 'Glory to the newborn King.'

Some churches have altered the words to Once In Royal David’s City, removing a reference to children 'all in white' and replacing it with 'bright like stars'.