How can we find feminine affirming ideas within Christianity and Catholicism?

Question

Feminist ideas can be found to some degree in certain Christian groups. Catholicism has come a long way other than the refusal to allow women into the same role played by Priests. Why must there be an "Our Father," but no God the Mother? It's easy to just say we are distancing ourself from pagan traditions of old but the feminine role for God is not necessarily un-Christian. So, why must God be only male and only a Father? What would a feminist understanding of Christianity/Catholicism contribute to our faith and understanding? In last weeks homily the priest said that Abba means "Daddy" and we can thus pray to "Daddy" or "Mommy?" Can we? Why and how?

When we talk about God and talk about God having no gender, why do we keep hearing about God as Him? In at least one response the notion that God has no gender is correctly pointed out but God is even there referred to as Him. That's only an issue if it would be a problem to just as easily substitute Her. Her for when God comes to us in a way that is more feminine in role or just more in character female.

It is significant that persons can see both the masculine and feminine like characteristics of God throughout the Bible and in the way we think of God. Sure we can turn outside Christianity or outside orthodox Christianity to find the feminine but we can see that we need not do so to find the feminine aspects of God.

Answer 1

It's an unalterable truth that God has chosen the male image as part of His identity. Catholicism, however, has many feminine affirming ideas in its dealings with the Blessed Virgin Mary and with female saints. Mother Theresa, Mother Angelica, and recently canonized women saints provide great 21rst century examples of how important women are in the Church.

Answer 2

Well if we accept that God is EVERYTHING as the Bible tells us then it includes EVERYTHING and EVERYONE including women.
Throughout time, since Limeria and Atlantis there has been a desire of mankind to distance themselves from God/Spirit and to 'self empower' and this is true of the european culture and some of its teachings and leaders.
That does not mean it is wrong, it just IS. God created this physicality (earth), so He/She could understand the opposite of Him/Herself and every individual or collective thought and action we make informs Great Creator. Although intentions that are not for the greater good of the whole will incurr Karma.
The church is not God but a small aspect of the whole and it isnt without a teaching structure that deny certain groups from being a part of it. Throughout history there are millions of examples of control by organisations creating limiting belief systems that dis-enpower individuals... but this is not God's way!
We as individuals now have to look inside and ask what do WE believe. We dont have to belong to the church to connect with Great Creator, we can just sit in nature and connect through inner peace. We can choose to go to church or choose the more indiginous cultural beliefs, eg Inca Shamanism.
The time is coming in our evolution when we play our part in the assention of the whole.... The Bible tells us that God made the world in 6 days and on the 7th day was the day of rest - The indiginous cultures believe that God made the world in 6 days and on the 7th day gave it to the people to pro-create. We are now moving into the 7th day of our existance (2012), when we are called upon to recognise our own spiritual gifts and our own direct connection with Spirit and to play our part in the pro creation and spiritual evolution of earth. However the church may be thinking that mankind is not ready for this knowledge and in many individuals cases they may be right

Answer 3

God is neither male nor female, other than in incarnate form. Theologically, God has no gender.

But the reason Catholics now feel able to make sacred iconography, is because God has gone from a form we cannot conceive of to a form that was made incarnate for us. That form is Christ. And Christ portrays the Father as he portrays himself, and uses the term Father not only to denote his filial relationship, but the filial relationship he intends us to have as well.

As the gospel of John tells us, "Nobody has seen the Father, except the son," who now tells us "whoever has seen me has seen the Father."

We've had the very image of God in our presence, in our midst, and that incarnation is made present for us every Sunday on the altar at Mass. That presence is male - which is not to say that God is not the source of maleness and femaleness. But it is to say that our approach to God is always through the Son, and there can be little doubt as to the gender of the Son.

That said, for a religion with a "patriarchal" conception of God, I can hardly imagine Catholicism being more female-positive:

St. Faustina (author of the Divine Mercy chaplet.)
St. Therese of Lisieux (doctor of the church, and patroness of priests.)
The Virgin Mary
St. Mary Magdalene, "disciple of the disciples" and witness to the ressurection
Mother Theresa
St. Theresa of Avignon, founder of the discalced carmelites

Many of these became recognized as saints at a time when secular society expected women to slave in the fields or in the kitchens and regarded women as property!

Answer 4

I am male and I always supported the idea that women should definitely have equal rights with men. But we should also not forget the fact that there are really some limitations or should I say, exception when it comes to female roles. Male and female can always be equal in terms of intellectual capabilities and most of the time girls have even proven to excel more than boys in terms of scholastic achievments. However, It does not really mean exactly that boys are mentally or intellectually inferior but because boys are oftentimes more restless and adventurous than women.

My personal understanding is that girls will always be physically inferior than men, so therefore there will always be factors that will limit girls to physically compare with boys especially in terms of obligations that require heavy toil.

As to the spiritual aspect, assuming that what the Holy Bible says is acceptable to everyone, it state that in the beginning, God created man first before woman. Man as it explains was created in the image of God but that because He saw man was lonely, He created woman in the likeness of man by taking a rib from Adam's side and breathe air into it to give it life. So, this confirms too that God is male by creating Adam first before Eve.

So, basing on this arguments, assuming that they are valid, points to the fact that leadership always point to men but it doesn't mean that men will always succeed in its endeavor. This the reason why in modern times women were given some important roles in more fields because many saw that women can be as productive as men. Freedom too has contributed to such universally accepted belief and more and more we are beginning to see world leaders who belong to the feminine world. But I still believe that there really exist debatable issues that should be considered in some fields were women leadership may not be appropriate and may just create more questions than answers. Although time changes, we should be honest to admit to ourselves that some aspects of life should be better off by remaining unchanged. But who can ever tell?

Answer 5

I think people misunderstand the Bible stand on " a woman's place". Woman are to be cared for, protected ,cherished and loved. Never fighting in wars, but caring for their children. I'm not saying that woman that are in the service are wrong, it just wasn't done back in those days. It is a Man,s place to preach in the pulpit, according to the scriptures. It doesn't forbid woman to teach someone they know, people they meet. We are all encouraged to teach. I won't even comment on the whole Why does God have to be a man, or be called Daddy... That is just Silly.

Answer 6

Difficult. However the gnostic christians always had the father-mother. If you have a father and a son, then where's the mother? Holy spirit was Sophia until they gave her a sex change. Christ had a cosmic consort. Scholars believe that about half their scriptures were written by women. List goes on, etc., etc.

Answer 7

Because the bible is just a group of stories that reflect the culture of the time, and tradition has kept it alive and the various sect sect of Christianity can t very well change it to reflect modern values and sentiments and still claim its the word of God, can they?

Answer 8

Catholicism is christianity (much to the dismay of non catholic christians everywhere).

As for the why of it .. well .. as the christians are fond of saying .... the bible says so. Sorry to break it to you but the bible is very very decidedly male centric and is all in favor of "keeping women in their place". It has always rather amazed me that women can stomach being christian.

Answer 9

God has no gender, he is above gender. In parts of the bible, He is refered to as having male traits, and in others, more female. We assign Him a gender so that we can better conceptualize Him.

Answer 10

There are not many. Besides, just what is a feminist? Why is this important? Religion is "Man Made"...