Is God Male?

[CWH]

Hi,

The topic "Is God Male ?" has intrigued me for many years. I know it may sound stupid or sexist but I would like to find out from other peoples' opinions.

As we read the Bible, we always comes across God having Male characteristics e.g. God the Father, God the Son, He, Him, His. Even Lord Jesus is male. I have never come across God as having Female characteristics e.g. Mother, Daughter, She, Her. But I do come across Mother Earth, Mother Mary, Mother Nature but never God the Mother.

All of us were taught that God is sex-less and as such I do know of instances whereby people are de-sexing the Holy Bible so that God in the Holy Bible is sex "neutral".

God Blessed.

[gregoryfl]

Thanks for bringing this up. God is indeed sexless, and although he is mostly portrayed in male terms, such as husband, father, etc., he also is portrayed in female terms. Unfortunately, this has been mostly disguised by translators.

One big example is one of the titles for God, El Shaddai. Around the time of the Septuagint being translated, the original meaning of the word Shaddai was one of the terms considered not proper for God, so the meaning was changed to mean Mighty. This is why in the Septuagint as well as in most Bibles today that term is rendered God Almighty, or something similar to that.

However, the meaning of the word shadd is breast, speaking of a woman's breast. The pictographic letters carried the meaning of 2 hangers, an apt description of a woman's breasts. The word originally meant God the Strong Breasted One. In other words, he is the Great Nourisher, from whom we receive everything we need for life.

We also see something of this idea of God having both male and female characteristics in the creation of man. For when God created man, the woman was originally part of man. In other words, Adam was, in a sense, male and female originally. Then, God took from him and made the woman as a separate person. From that point on, male and female were separate. Not so originally though.

Although I believe this, I do not believe, as some do, that God should be called the Father-Mother, as some Bibles have it. Let the scriptures speak for themselves. He is never called a mother, only a father. However, when scripture speaks of his feminine characteristics, such as being a strong breasted one, then that should not be hidden, but also plainly seen. For God is complete, everything to us, all in all. Male AND female express him.

Ron

[CWH]

Hi all.

Just seeking your opinions. I have heard that some people are demasculinating the bible, changing He, The Father, The Son to God or something that is non-gender in the Bible. We know that God is sexless but is desexing the Bible, the right thing to do?

Excerpt:

"It suggests, among other things, dropping the masculine (and biblical) words Father or King and supplanting them simply with "God"; banning "brotherhood" and "fellowship" in favor of "community," "unity" or "kinship." Says Liturgist Rabbi Chaim Stern of Chappaqua, N.Y., who is not a member of the task force: "I am now persuaded that it is illegitimate to use masculine language about God."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,918508,00.html

Many Blessings.

[The Mighty Sword]

When God told Moses, go tell pharoh to set my people free, moses ask GOD whom shall I say sent me and GOD answers tell them "Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh" sent you, meaning "I Am that I Am" and I Am meaning "All Things"

[CWH]

I personally think that it is not right to desex the Bible. It's no harm actually to change the gender or all masculine term of God into something non-gender but if God prefers to use the masculine gender term, so let it be. It's like if I prefer for some reasons to be call a She and you call me He, I don't think I will be very happy. And if you call me a neutral term "HeShe", I will get greatly offended. Using other non-gender term like "God" may sounds okay but that may not be the original intended meaning because "God" in the Bible is plural. I wonder how to change the Trinity into something non-gender.....perhaps, "God the Parent, God the Child and God the Holy Spirit". Sounds good?

Many Blessings to all.

[Richard Amiel McGough]

I personally think that it is not right to desex the Bible. It's no harm actually to change the gender or all masculine term of God into something non-gender but if God prefers to use the masculine gender term, so let it be.

Hey Cheow,

I agree completely. :thumb:

We should receive the Bible as it was given. We would have to change Holy Scripture to "desex" the references to God. And that's a no-no :nono: in my book!


I wonder how to change the Trinity into something non-gender.....perhaps, "God the Parent, God the Child and God the Holy Spirit". Sounds good?

Many Blessings to all.
Ha! Many things along that line have already been attempted. Here's an Episcopal prayer (http://www.env-steward.com/reflect/creation/gene9912.htm) modeled on the Lord's Prayer:

Our Father in Heaven,
Our Mother in Earth;
Hallowed be your Name.
Your Reign come,
Your Will be done;
In Earth, In Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
And deliver us from evil.
For the Reign, the Love and the Glory are Yours,
Now and forever.
AMEN