Why do we refer to God as male?
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- Wicked Witch of the West Coast
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
What what what!!!!!? Seriously?alexoliversen wrote:male being lower maintenance allows males to provided more for others
"It takes a village to raise a fool." ~ Dan Mangan
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- The Pilgrim
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
My wife's cousin is a Lutheran pastor in Lutheran part of the USA (midwest), and she refers to God as a she in her sermons. I know because she posts her sermons on Facebook sometimes.
"The best revenge is to live better. "
- kgcayenne
- kgcayenne
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
i was raised Lutheran and it was explained to me that God was referred to as He because He had to be called something, and It wasn't the right word. it could have been She, as long as it was consistent. then this thread would be titled Why do we refer to God as female?
“Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.”
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― Albert Einstein
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- Board Meister
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
lol indeed.ferri wrote:i was raised Lutheran and it was explained to me that God was referred to as He because He had to be called something, and It wasn't the right word. it could have been She, as long as it was consistent. then this thread would be titled Why do we refer to God as female?
Without intending to sound flippant or irreverent, 'it' seems the best choice of pronoun for God. To label God as a he or she is anthropomorphic. God is not human.
Even when it's bad it's good. More cowbell.
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- Wicked Witch of the West Coast
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
neither are dogs and we use he or she for them.annexi wrote:God is not human
But I do agree that "god" is neither he or a she.
"It takes a village to raise a fool." ~ Dan Mangan
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- The Pilgrim
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
Why do we refer to our ships as "she"?
"The best revenge is to live better. "
- kgcayenne
- kgcayenne
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- Walks on Forum Water
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
Many languages award gender to various things.
in Spanish a table is fem, a ship (barco) is male, a small boat (panga) is female.
IMHO this has a profound effect on the culture.
It is a socialized way to subjugate women
Fortunately with the advent of internet cell phones and radio and television this is slipping slowly away,
but will take a few more generations.
in Spanish a table is fem, a ship (barco) is male, a small boat (panga) is female.
IMHO this has a profound effect on the culture.
It is a socialized way to subjugate women
Fortunately with the advent of internet cell phones and radio and television this is slipping slowly away,
but will take a few more generations.
We're lost but we're making good time.
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- Grand Pooh-bah
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
King James 2000 Bibleannexi wrote:Other than the obvious reason - our religious texts refer to God as male. Is that really true though? In a perfect universe, there is a balance of male and female, yin and yang.
The world is currently ruled by an underlying and pervasive patriarchal (male) worldview. It can be found in our religions, our social practices, our languages, and our laws. Somewhere in the evolution of humanity, woman - the matriarchal archetype - was lost as an equal and balancing force.
I wonder if God being claimed male is an extension of this overriding patriarchy. And I wonder if in fact this does believers a great injustice, if it obscures a greater truth.
To me, God is too vast and un-understandable by the human mind to be given any labels at all & we should question what we've been taught.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
There have been a couple of responses like yours, essentially saying we refer to God as male because the bible says so. Who wrote the bible? Men. Men operating from a world view that regarded woman as fallen creatures, weak, inferior, property, etc. For this reason I'm not taking the word of a book written by men as the gospel truth no questions asked.cutter7 wrote:
King James 2000 Bible
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
The whole feminine aspect of spirituality is totally given back burner status in the bible. That can't be right in a properly balanced worldview and God view. There has got to be more to the story of what God is.
Even when it's bad it's good. More cowbell.
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- Walks on Forum Water
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
He She, imho god is not even an it.
We're lost but we're making good time.
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- Guru
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
Did you also thank Mother Earth for providing dinosaurs, so that fuel could be created to plant, spray and harvest said food?Baba O'Riley wrote:
At a recent dinner I attended, 'grace' was said thanking Mother Earth for the food we were about to eat. I said 'Amen' for the first time in a long time :)
Not afraid to say "It".
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
In Latin America, the catholics glommed onto the mother earth idea and tried to supplant mother earth celebrations with celebrations of the Virgin de Guadaloupe.
We're lost but we're making good time.
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- Übergod
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
The whole Virgin Mary mother of god myth was stolen from the Greek goddess Gaia. The catholic church has integrated many pagan rituals and characters to make assimilation easier.Nibs wrote:In Latin America, the catholics glommed onto the mother earth idea and tried to supplant mother earth celebrations with celebrations of the Virgin de Guadaloupe.
Personally, I think the biblical god should be called he because he is such a prick, as well as a narcissistic psychopath.
Trying to get spiritual nourishment from a two thousand year old book is like trying to suck milk from the breast of a woman who has been dead that long.
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- Board Meister
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
Yikes that will raise the ire of many a Christian.cliffy1 wrote: Personally, I think the biblical god should be called he because he is such a prick, as well as a narcissistic psychopath.
And it sounds a wee bit like misandry. That generally will get us about as far as misogyny does.
Even when it's bad it's good. More cowbell.
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- Übergod
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Re: Why do we refer to God as male?
Well, it is my opinion. I think if someone is upset by it, it is an indication of weak faith. I am not trying to change anybody's mind, or argue the point. I figure if others want the right to express their opinions then they should be willing to grant others the right to their opinions too.annexi wrote: Yikes that will raise the ire of many a Christian.
And it sounds a wee bit like misandry. That generally will get us about as far as misogyny does.
Trying to get spiritual nourishment from a two thousand year old book is like trying to suck milk from the breast of a woman who has been dead that long.