God's Gender

[McCulloch]

God's Gender

In this thread, we are discussing the Christian concept of God.

n the original language the Old Testament is written in, the term 'Holy Spirit' is feminine. That was in counter to [the] claim that god is always referred to as 'HE'.

[...]In the Hebrew scriptures, God is sometimes referred to in a feminine form.

The Holy Spirit is referred to both masculine and feminine. However since the Holy Spirit is just that 'A SPIRIT' you cannot assign Gender to it. However 'GOD' (LORD—YAHWEH) is always specifically referred to as 'FATHER.' or 'HE.'

As far as I can see, it is as accurate to say "SHE" for God and "He"

Yes, Christianity has made god masculine.. but it wasn't totally that way in Judaism.

Does it make sense to attribute gender to God? Is God male? Is it valid to refer to God as female?

[Madeline]

Well I believe that since God made 'ADAM' first and since Adam is a man, God is masculine in nature. But you have a point there.

Love,
Madeline

[seventil]

It is my personal belief that God transends a sexual distinction by being God. That being said, I offer no rational proof of why I think that. Too much wine, maybe?

From Genesis: " 27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."

Funny I never noticed the "male and female" before. Learn something new everyday.

[Goat]

It is my personal belief that God transends a sexual distinction by being God. That being said, I offer no rational proof of why I think that. Too much wine, maybe?

From Genesis: " 27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them."

Funny I never noticed the "male and female" before. Learn something new everyday.

You have picked out the very verse that is pointed to when Judaism says that God has both male and female attributes. Congraduations.

God , being spirit, has no gender per say. God is called 'He' for the most part because of grammer restrictions... and 'father' because for the same reason.

However, when god is refered to as 'indwelling', the feminine form is used. Since this is the case, calling god "She" is as valid as calling god 'He'.

As it is, this site (from Orthodox Jews), when discussing the Shekhinah, does refer to God as 'She'.

http://www.aish.com/spirituality/philos ... of_God.asp

[Madeline]

How about looking at it from a biblical perspective goat? What does the bible have to say about it? Look at the views from the OT and NT!

Gender of God

Love,
Madeline

[Goat]

How about looking at it from a biblical perspective goat? What does the bible have to say about it? Look at the views from the OT and NT!

Gender of God

Love,
Madeline

The NT doesn't matter to me one bit. I am just pointing out the Hebrew has god as both Feminine and Masculine.

Christians distort and lie about the O.T. That is not news to me.

[Madeline]

The NT doesn't matter to me one bit. I am just pointing out the Hebrew has god as both Feminine and Masculine.

Christians distort and lie about the O.T. That is not news to me.

Oh, so you can quote the NT scriptures when you feel it necesarry to refute someones belief which does not conform to yours. All of a sudden the NT is a lie! Are you calling the words of Jesus a lie?

Love,
Madeline

[Goat]

The NT doesn't matter to me one bit. I am just pointing out the Hebrew has god as both Feminine and Masculine.

Christians distort and lie about the O.T. That is not news to me.

Oh, so you can quote the NT scriptures when you feel it necesarry to refute someones belief which does not conform to yours. All of a sudden the NT is a lie! Are you calling the words of Jesus a lie?

Love,
Madeline

Why, I don't have to call the words of Jesus a lie. All I have to do is show that your interpretation of the 'words of Jesus' are not universally shared by those people who call themselves Christian.


Aside from that, none of the books about Jesus were written BY Jesus. Except for the letter of Paul, you have books written 35 years or more after the alleged events. Some were futher modified even later. Many of those books makes claims about a person named Jesus, and what he said. However, they weren't there. They contradict each other on occasion, and the way that those who wish to find no flaw in the bible try to reconcilate that is often beyond belief.

Your view of Christainity is not the only view of Christianty, nor is Christianity the beinging and end of religion and God. I think it is time you
learn that. Simply declaring 'The greek syntax does not support that', or similar remarks just doesn't convince people.

[Madeline]

What are saying? that the authors somehow recorded inaccurate acounts of Jesus' words? Just because the Gospels were not written by Jesus does not mean that Jesus did not utter those words. What does the bible say?

2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

All scripture is (theopneustos), i.e., divinely breathed in—given by inspiration of God. All scripture includes the Gospels which recorded the words uttered by Jesus. It seems you want to nitpick which portions of scripture are reliable and which you want to discount. Why do you think that the Gospel accounts do not contradict each other.

Love,
Madeline

[micatala]

Would it be impertinent to ask why anyone should care whether God has a gender, or what gender he/she has if he/she does?

My opinion is, since God is spirit, God does not have a gender. Gender is required for sexual reproduction. I don't believe God sexually reproduces.