Why does God have a gender?

[nobspeople]

The bible speaks of God as a 'he' or 'him'.
Is it possible that's not true? Is it possible God is an 'it' more than a 'he' or even a 'she'?

If God is not a 'he', would that change how you think of 'him'?
Would it change anything about 'his' story?

I've seen some believers see this concept as offensive. Are you one of those people that are offended if God is spoken about as a 'it' or 'she'?

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #18]

According to https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology ... ods-gender, "...early Christian writings and texts, all refer to God in feminine terms."
The article shares specifics where God, in part, is referred to in the feminine.

Is that problematic for you? If so, why?

Why do you think it would be? If so, why?

Do you think I would think it would be? If so why?


Anyway, as I said in my edit.. .I don't really care one way or the other. I already cited scripture where God compares himself to a woman/mother.


JW

[nobspeople]

[Replying to JehovahsWitness in post #18]

According to https://www.ncronline.org/news/theology ... ods-gender, "...early Christian writings and texts, all refer to God in feminine terms."
The article shares specifics where God, in part, is referred to in the feminine.

Is that problematic for you? If so, why?

Why do you think it would be? If so, why?

Do you think I would think it would be? If so why?


Anyway, as I said in my edit.. .I don't really care one way or the other. I already cited scripture where God compares himself to a woman/mother.


JW

You cared enough to ask so it's less than truthful - maybe disingenuous(?) - to say "I don't really care one way or the other", it seems.
I'm curious as to why you'd think it would 'be problematic' me. What in anything I've said here would make you think that way?

[Purple Knight]

JW probably doesn't care, because he's a decent person.

The people in the ancient world cared, because they were not.

So it's got to be male for them to understand it is above them, because they were primitive. So it was. And if it ever showed itself to them, it, being the nice thing that it was, in giving them a chance to be obedient to it, didn't show itself as a worm or a cat or a woman, which it well knew they would not listen to, but as a man.

That's my two cents anyway.

[bjs1]

This seems more like an issue of semantics than theology.

We need a pronoun for God. “It” is impersonal. Even modern people who identify as non-binary (neither male nor female) know that you don’t call a person “it.” They use the pronoun “they.”

But calling God “they” is equally problematic, especially in a polytheistic society. Even once the trinity was introduced Christians insisted that God is one and did not use plural pronouns.

That leaves us with “he” and “she.” In Semitic languages like Hebrew (as with most modern Romance and Germanic languages), “he” is closer to gender neutral. Calling God “she” would put the focus on gender. Calling God “he,” while still imperfect, is the closest we can get to describe the God that both men and women are made in the image of.

[JehovahsWitness]

So it's got to be male for them to understand it is above them, because they were primitive.

Did the ancients not have plenty of "female" goddesses?



JW

[Miles]

Does the biblical God have a biological gender? No, the God of the bible is neither male nor female, it states : "God is a spirit" and therefore biblically not gender bound.

And spirits can't have genders? How do you know? Lacking any evidence, this is a pretty audacious statement . . . . but quite understandable. Of course, if you do have such evidence, please share.

Why does the bible liken God to a man/male/Father? Because that is a useful metaphor to help humans understand certain aspects of His nature.

So what's wrong with using "it" in Biblical passages referring to god?

Genesis 1:27
So God created humans in its own image. It created them to be like himself. It created them male and female.

Not a thing. But it doesn't because the ancients considered god to be a specific gender. Why? Because that's how they saw him presenting himself, as a male. And why choose one gender rather than the other unless there was some compelling rational? Give you one guess.

Does the bible ever like[en] God to a woman/mother? Yes (see below)

DEUTERONOMY 32:18

...you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

So "it"s can't be seen as giving birth, but "he"s can? Moreover, many Bibles use other descriptive terms in Deut. 32:18, such as "Life," "formed," "formeth," "created," "fathered," "brought forth," and "gave you life," instead of "birth," which really points to "birth" being used as an equivalency to "created" and nothing more. "Birth" here no more implies any feminine characteristic than does "mother" in "Necessity is the mother of invention" imply some feminine characteristic of "necessity."

birth \ ˈbərth\

transitive verb
1 chiefly dialectal : to bring forth
2a : to give rise to : originate
Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary

Usage entirely without reference to or implication of motherhood.

PSALMS 131:2
“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

So what? God is likening himself to a weaned child not the mother. He even states as much: "my soul is like the weaned child that is with me." Simply consider the same verse from other trahslations.

CEV
"But I have learned to feel safe
and satisfied,
just like a young child
on its mother’s lap.
______________

ERV
No, right now I am calm and quiet,
like a child after nursing,
content in its mother’s arms.

PSALMS 123:2-3
“... as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to you, YHWH, until you show us your mercy!”

Another simile. This one indicating how one looks at god; and it's others, not god, who have such eyes. This is confirmed by other translations where we read:

ERV
2
A slave looks to his master to provide what he needs,
and a servant girl depends on the woman she serves.
So we depend on the Lord our God,
waiting for him to have mercy on us.
3
Lord, be merciful to us,
because we have been insulted much too long.

__________________

CEV
2
Servants look to their master,
but we will look to you,
until you have mercy on us.
3
Please have mercy, Lord!
We have been insulted
more than we can stand,

.

[JehovahsWitness]

Does the biblical God have a biological gender? No, the God of the bible is neither male nor female, it states : "God is a spirit" and therefore biblically not gender bound.

And spirits can't have genders? How do you know?

I didn't say I know I said that "[the bible] states" :God is a spirit". Spirits in scripture are not presented as naturally biological nor as being classified by sex or gender (but rather by rank and position). I know of no scriptural indication spirits were made with the ability to procreate but of course, if you do have evidence to the contrary, please share.


JW

[JehovahsWitness]

Why does the bible liken God to a man/male/Father? Because that is a useful metaphor to help humans understand certain aspects of His nature.

So what's wrong with using "it" in Biblical passages referring to god?

bjs addressed that point quite well. If I may quote. ...

We need a pronoun for God. “It” is impersonal. Even modern people who identify as non-binary (neither male nor female) know that you don’t call a person “it.”

The God of the bible is presented as an intellegent individual with a unique personality. In English "it" is generally reserved for the inanimate, the mechanical or for animals and unintelligent lifeforms.



JW

[Miles]

Why does the bible liken God to a man/male/Father? Because that is a useful metaphor to help humans understand certain aspects of His nature.

So what's wrong with using "it" in Biblical passages referring to god?

bjs addressed that point quite well. If I may quote. ...

We need a pronoun for God. “It” is impersonal. Even modern people who identify as non-binary (neither male nor female) know that you don’t call a person “it.”

The God of the bible is presented as an intellegent individual with a unique personality. In English "it" is generally reserved for the inanimate, the mechanical or for animals and unintelligent lifeforms.



JW

Oh I agree. So the question is, why choose male pronouns instead of female pronouns? After all, female gods were quite common around the ancient world.

Kali. ...
Sekhmet. ...
Ishtar. ...
Hecate. ...
Izanami-no-Mikoto. ...
The Morrigan. ...
Papatūānuku. ...
Tiamat.
Frigg
Nemesis
Ma'at
Mami Wata
etc.
etc.

To say nothing of the Roman goddesses

Minerva (Athena)
Juno,
Flora,
Vesta,
Venus,
Ceres,
Diana,
Salacia,
etc.
etc.


Or the Greek goddesses

Achelois
Alectrona
Amphitrite
Antheia
Aphaea
Aphrodite
Artemis
Athena
etc.
etc.

Or the many Mesopotamian goddesses

Damgalnuna
Nammu
Nanshe
Tashmetu
Sarpānītu
Tiamat
Ki
Tiamat
Geshtinanna
Inanna
Gula
Nanshe
Ninhursag
etc.
etc.

Even the ancient Canaanites had their goddesses. Canaan being consider to be the predominant origin of the ancient Israelites.

Anat
Arsay
Ashima
Atargatis
Baalah
Ba'al Hadad
Ishara
Ishat
Kotharat
Liluri
etc.
etc.


So there was certainly no prejudice toward the god of the Hebrews being male.


.

[brunumb]

Does the bible ever like God to a woman/mother? Yes (see below)

DEUTERONOMY 32:18
...you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

KJV: "Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee."
Demonstrates the true intent of the passage.

PSALMS 131:2

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

How is that even relevant?

PSALMS 123:2-3
“... as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to you, YHWH, until you show us your mercy!”

Nothing to do with making God like a woman/mother.

Gendered animals, like humans, dogs, bears, etc. may be referred to as he/she depending on the gender. Ungendered things like rocks, trees, ghosts etc. may be referred to as it. The purpose of gender in the animal kingdom is for reproduction. Does God reproduce sexually? If God is truly spirit then God is ungendered and should be referred to as IT.