The three other biblical passages cited in the post also specifically detail multiple demons. But Legion's reference to being 'many' demons makes plural pronouns necessary, per English grammar rules. Matthew 8 – which is also cited in the post – depicts the same scene. In what Goodacre described as “one of the most remarkable and vivid stories” in Mark’s gospel, Jesus sends the demons into a herd of pigs, which then run over a cliff and into the sea to their deaths. The first verse cited in the post is Mark 5: 1-13, a passage that describes Jesus exorcising a possessed man.Īfter Jesus asks what the demon's name is, he is given a response of, 'My name is Legion, for we are many.' Mark Goodacre, a professor of religious studies at Duke University, said he was “astounded” by the claim, which “doesn’t make any sense to me at all.” Demons' use of they/them 'doesn't have anything to do with gender' And regardless, experts told USA TODAY the passages were originally written in Greek and there is no parallel between such pronouns used in the Bible and modern-day understandings of gender identity.

Other versions of the claim were shared thousands of additional times on various social media platforms.įollow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: Missing contextĪll five passages cited in the post describe multiple demons, using pronouns that follow the traditional structure of the English language. The post was shared more than 1,400 times in two days. 'So much of what is going on right now, the Bible describes it,' says one comment on the post. “In the Bible, demons refer to themselves as they/them/we/us,” reads the post, which cites several verses from the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. AP The claim: Post implies demons in the Bible use singular they/them pronounsĪ May 9 Facebook post ( direct link, archive link) suggests an ancient text invokes modern-day language about gender identity.

What pronoun is we