Why did Jesus have to be male?

[nobspeople]

Along the same lines of the thread here
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=38174
Why did Jesus have to be male?
I assume he is though some may debate it if the above thread is any indication about what words mean and what terms were used then as they are now.

But why did God (whatever gender it is or isn't) decide to make a male version of himself/son (whichever you choose to believe)?
Why couldn't Jesus have been a female? Would the sacrifice he's said to have made been any more of less successful?
Was Jesus needed to be male in order to get respect and attention? If so, could this be why God is male?
What was the reason why Jesus was and had to be male?
Or was if simply random?

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to nobspeople in post #1]

I think this is a good question.

I think everything God does he does it to maximize our goodness. God wills that everyone be saved, but we must choose God. It is good we have free choice.

God knows all things, so he knows what story would cause the most people to be saved, and that story was the death and resurrection of Jesus and not for example, Jessica.

[Clownboat]

I think everything God does he does it to maximize our goodness.

A Trump supporter (for example) would say the same thing.
A Biden " " " " " " " ".

God wills that everyone be saved, but we must choose God. It is good we have free choice.

I chose the Christian God for over 2 decades. Being set free from my beliefs was the hardest thing I have ever been though. Litteral tears while I begged the God I claimed to have a relationship with to make itself 'known' to me. I gotta be honest, my first hand experience negates your claim, so I gotta go where the evidence leads for now.

God knows all things

Are you talking about the god that created humans, called them perfect to then only lament about having created them? You sure he knows all? I know of a book that suggests otherwise.

so he knows what story would cause the most people to be saved,

So why include stories about ordering/advocating genocide, child rape and child sacrifice? Those stories do not lead to salvation. They are horrible and paint the book in a terrible light.

and that story was the death and resurrection of Jesus and not for example, Jessica.

You can't just ignore the other stories in the book though and it seems like that is what you are doing.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to Clownboat in post #202]

Are you talking about the god that created humans, called them perfect to then only lament about having created them? You sure he knows all? I know of a book that suggests otherwise.

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

It seems your probably is more with your idea of the bible God than with God himself. So in all your days believing in God, you never experienced God in any way?

[brunumb]

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

Could you direct us to where these largely anonymous writers clearly specified the intended purpose of their writing, or are we meant to conjure that up from the luminiferous ether.

[Clownboat]

[Replying to Clownboat in post #202]

Are you talking about the god that created humans, called them perfect to then only lament about having created them? You sure he knows all? I know of a book that suggests otherwise.

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

It seems your probably is more with your idea of the bible God than with God himself. So in all your days believing in God, you never experienced God in any way?

The collection of stories has been addressed by brunumb and I eagerly await your reply.

I was an avid believer, so of course I made all sorts of claims about experiencing the god I put so much effort in to.
Looking back, every single experience I credited to my god was either something I was imagining was happening, or was a natural phenominon I credit to my god though.

I couldn't help but start to realize this. Believe me, the tears were real as I begged my god to make itself known to me. My desire was to maintain my belief as I had (have) a Christian familiy, went to Christian schooling and went to church 6 times a week.

There has been no experience in my life that I can point to and claim a god was involved if I'm being honest. Even being drunk in the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. Do you have any events that could only be explained by a god concept?

[AquinasForGod]

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

Could you direct us to where these largely anonymous writers clearly specified the intended purpose of their writing, or are we meant to conjure that up from the luminiferous ether.

Authors do not always state their intentions in the work. We have to figure it out based on what they say. It I were living in the year 2900 and came upon the book IT by Stephen King, yet I knew nothing about him for it has been lost in history. All we have in 2900 is this one book by King. We have nothing else about him. No interviews, no videos, nothing. We don't even know if he is writing fiction or not. I am pretty sure, I will come to understand IT is fiction and not to be taken as some historical book.

I would be able to tell by looking at other writings during that time and what was clearly historical has a different flow to it. They use different linguistic tricks. King is clearly trying to conjure emotions whereas historical text are dry and don't do so.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to Clownboat in post #202]

Are you talking about the god that created humans, called them perfect to then only lament about having created them? You sure he knows all? I know of a book that suggests otherwise.

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

It seems your probably is more with your idea of the bible God than with God himself. So in all your days believing in God, you never experienced God in any way?

The collection of stories has been addressed by brunumb and I eagerly await your reply.

I was an avid believer, so of course I made all sorts of claims about experiencing the god I put so much effort in to.
Looking back, every single experience I credited to my god was either something I was imagining was happening, or was a natural phenominon I credit to my god though.

I couldn't help but start to realize this. Believe me, the tears were real as I begged my god to make itself known to me. My desire was to maintain my belief as I had (have) a Christian familiy, went to Christian schooling and went to church 6 times a week.

There has been no experience in my life that I can point to and claim a god was involved if I'm being honest. Even being drunk in the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. Do you have any events that could only be explained by a god concept?

I am sorry to hear that. So you cannot remember ever getting a clear answer to a prayer that doesn't make much sense under naturalism?


Yes, I have had experiences that I find extremely hard to explain under naturalism, but I know they will not be believed anyway, or it will be claimed I am remembering incorrectly, etc. I know this will be the case because it is how I think when someone tells me such stories. I am very skeptical at heart.

But it doesn't come down to one single event or experience but a collection of the whole. I don't believe in evolution because of one piece of evidence but because of a total collection of different pieces of evidence.

I could tell you of some wild stories that you will roll your eyes at, though.

[brunumb]

It is a collection of books. and some of those books like Genesis are a collection of stories by different writers over time. We have to read the stories for their intended purpose, which atheists do not do.

Could you direct us to where these largely anonymous writers clearly specified the intended purpose of their writing, or are we meant to conjure that up from the luminiferous ether.

Authors do not always state their intentions in the work. We have to figure it out based on what they say. It I were living in the year 2900 and came upon the book IT by Stephen King, yet I knew nothing about him for it has been lost in history. All we have in 2900 is this one book by King. We have nothing else about him. No interviews, no videos, nothing. We don't even know if he is writing fiction or not. I am pretty sure, I will come to understand IT is fiction and not to be taken as some historical book.

I would be able to tell by looking at other writings during that time and what was clearly historical has a different flow to it. They use different linguistic tricks. King is clearly trying to conjure emotions whereas historical text are dry and don't do so.

Along-winded way of saying that none of the authors specified their intentions so you just interpolate your own to fit the biases you hold.

[Clownboat]

I am sorry to hear that. So you cannot remember ever getting a clear answer to a prayer that doesn't make much sense under naturalism?

Don't be sorry. It was hard, but I'm now a much more loving and Christ like person person since being set free.
To your question: "There has been no experience in my life that I can point to and claim a god was involved if I'm being honest."

But it doesn't come down to one single event or experience but a collection of the whole. I don't believe in evolution because of one piece of evidence but because of a total collection of different pieces of evidence.

I have read this many times and cannot tell if you do or don't believe in evolution because of the wording you used. So this may be for the readers...

The theory of evolution is not a hypothesis, but the scientifically accepted explanation of the incontrovertible fact that life and its many forms has changed over the years.
https://www.acs.org/policy/publicpolici ... he%20years.

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it ... - Planck's principle

My mom still thinks evolution is a monkey giving birth to a human (because that ridiculous version is easy to see as false). She will not be taught, but once she is gone, her false beliefs will be gone with her. The only young people that will ever hear such an inacurrate claim are the ones hearing if from the old, like my mother that has yet to die off.

[AquinasForGod]

I am sorry to hear that. So you cannot remember ever getting a clear answer to a prayer that doesn't make much sense under naturalism?

Don't be sorry. It was hard, but I'm now a much more loving and Christ like person person since being set free.
To your question: "There has been no experience in my life that I can point to and claim a god was involved if I'm being honest."

But it doesn't come down to one single event or experience but a collection of the whole. I don't believe in evolution because of one piece of evidence but because of a total collection of different pieces of evidence.

I have read this many times and cannot tell if you do or don't believe in evolution because of the wording you used. So this may be for the readers...

The theory of evolution is not a hypothesis, but the scientifically accepted explanation of the incontrovertible fact that life and its many forms has changed over the years.
https://www.acs.org/policy/publicpolici ... he%20years.

A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it ... - Planck's principle

My mom still thinks evolution is a monkey giving birth to a human (because that ridiculous version is easy to see as false). She will not be taught, but once she is gone, her false beliefs will be gone with her. The only young people that will ever hear such an inacurrate claim are the ones hearing if from the old, like my mother that has yet to die off.

I am learned in what evolution is and I accept it. We cannot ignore the evidence and there are too many different branches of evidence that support evolution. However, evolution is still tentative knowledge.