Whoever said the Christian God is male?

Question

Am I the only Christian female to find this ridiculous? The bible never refers to God's genitalia! God is GOD, not a dude or a chick. I'm reading these fabulous feminist books who refer to "Goddess" instead of "God" and I'm not finding it blasphemous at all. I mean, they're both equally valid if God has no literal gender, do you see what I mean? Are there Christians out there who actually think God as sitting in heaven on his throne with a penis the size of Australia? Am I missing something or do you agree? What do you think?

I'd love answers from theologists, Christians, and feminists! Would you tell me your belief structure along with your opinion? I love you all, though. Everyone's welcome, my darlings!

Isn't God the Father just metaphorical, though? I mean, if He created the world then wouldn't it be equally vaild to call Him God the Mother? I mean, he didn't create it with His sperm, did he? Pardon my crudeness, but I know of no better way to make my point.

It's amazing how many of the Christians who are answering this question are rude and insulting. Wow, I never thought I would find so many staunch purists of this bible by asking this question. My point is that since that Bible was translated from ancient languages like Aramaic that were incredibly patriarchal, isn't it possible that in order for the Holy Father to get His word on paper, he had to use the local language which probably didn't even have a pronoun for an ultimate diety, above gender. Then when it was translated into Englsh it was translated strictly to preserve the original word of God. So, isn't it possible that the bible uses the pronouns "He" and "Father" for lack of a better word? P.S. I'm not upset with anyone for insulting me, I'm just surprised is all. I apologise if I have offended anyone. I'm speaking in medical terms, not derrogatory terms. Thanks again for all your responses!

And by referring to the feminist book that refers to God as "Goddess" I am by no means saying that God is a woman. I'm just saying that since God has no gender, it is equally valid to refer to God as male or female. I'm not worshipping a Goddess. I'm worshipping the Christian God. Please don't misunderstand me.

Yes! 60 answers!

Answer 1

I agree sista! And whoever said that females are less spiritual and love God less than men? Baloney!

I don't believe God has any form or gender. God is the energy of pure love and the source creator of all life. God is the process of life itself. Life is dual in nature, which is why both male and female exist.

God did not identify Gods self as male, men did that!

Answer 2

There is little possibility that there is a "gender" for god, the references that are mentioned are rather simple and since the society that wrote the bible were a male oriented it makes it easy to understand that they would call god "he" or "father". The catholic religion seems to believe that god is male and that mary is the only "holy" female. Much of what we know in the bible has been translated from older texts which have been reworded based upon who was doing the translation. As far as we know small things could be changed without much notice, or for the fact that there were several meanings of the original word.

Answer 3

God the Father is a father in the real sense. Since Jesus Christ is the Son of God there must be a father. Where sons are there are fathers.

Did not God make us in His image? Genesis speaks of that quite clearly. The suggestion that the Father in Heaven is some giant is ludicrous as well. His is a perfected body of flesh and bone and could be considered average in man's description. The same holds true for His Son.

Procreation was given mankind from God. Give it some thought, particularly that where fathers are there are sons too. Let's don't forget mothers while we're on the topic.

Answer 4

The pronoun He is frequently used in the Bible. Lord is also a male reference. Yes, there is a lot of reference to a male God in the Bible. What you choose to believe personally would not fit with the mainline Christianity practiced.

God is not a pronoun, actually. (There is a book called: God is a Verb with some interesting references). God is spirit (this is also a Biblical reference in John). As spirit we are all the image of God.

Answer 5

Being the father of Jesus probably had something to do with it. Most people don't envision two chicks when they think of conception, immaculate or otherwise. Then there's all those references to God being a He. John 3:16, for example: "For God so loved the world, the He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with God being a chick. Could be androgenous for all I know. But to answer your question, I believe there are plenty of references in the Christian Bible that imply God is male, thus the common conception.

Answer 6

First, in Genesis it says that man was created in God's image. Even if gender is not implied, Adam, being the first human, was a man. Thus the conclusion that God is male even if only in nature not physically.
Second, the trinity is comprised of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Third, if you think that's confusing.... why are majority of the angels we see at Christmas etc. female when angels in the Bible all have male names?
Perhaps man can only comprehend relating God as a man or woman. He may be neither and we may never know!

Answer 7

I beg to differ. God is reffered to a as male 19 times between Genesis chapters 1-4.

Gen 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Gen 1:10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

Gen 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gen 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Gen 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Gen 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;

Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Gen 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:

Gen 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So worship your Goddess if you want. But the World of God has spoken. His word is true.

Answer 8

You are wise to look into other things, instead of just swallowing all the christian brainwashing. Yea...I mean how much validity can you place upon a bunch of common men who wrote the bible, each one writing w/ the influence of his own hang-ups and issues? And YOU are supposed to apply that to YOUR life?? And the bible always talks about some MAN having some SONS, who then had more SONS, and so on and so on......see how ridulous that is? logically speaking, chances are there would have been some DAUGHTERS born somewhere in there! I am just thankful I know better than to follow the christian faith, and that I have raised my children w/out the complications and comfinments of orgainized religion. Follow your own path, sister! You may be interested in looking into Wicca.....enjoy! PEACE!

Answer 9

Try reading "Hero With a Thousand Faces" by Joseph Campbell. In it, he explores the mythologies of the world and draws some interesting conclusions. In many creation myths, the god is androgenous--both male and female. Lots of examples of them. However, the interesting thing is that when he uses this information to draw parallels with the bible stories of creation. He says a god made man in his own image (if androgenous, man is originally both male and female). But then he takes from Adam a rib and forms Eve. Eve is not an afterthought. Eve is the female aspect of this androgeny and Adam is then the male aspect of the androgeny. To me, this was fascinating and very sensible.

Don't trash me based on my opinion. This is based on a great deal of study and reverence for world relgions. Just found that interesting.

Answer 10

This is pretty basic stuff. The Judaeo-Christian tradition views God as a father-figure (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) Other religious traditions have a Mother figure instead. They are all mythic, rather than historic. I think Chrisitans generally visualize a male figure, but I doubt if many of them are including the physical details under the robes.

Answer 11

The male principal is the visible like clothing represents the truth in the Bible and not the good. Jesus said "only God is good" or the female principle. Jesus was the truth or "the Word that became flesh." It is wrapped up in the marriage of good and truth being God and the resultant action from the marriage (the trinity in a nutshell).