If people are created in God's image, and half the human race is female, then why isn't "She" just as valid a pronoun as "He" when referring to God?
2006-12-14 11:06:03 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
This is a common misconception in Christianity..considering that the "Old Testament" is written in Hebrew, one would have to understand that language to fully appreciate the context. To the Jewish people, G-d is actually both male and female, and many of the words that refer to G-d in the TaNaKh (which is the actual name for the Old Testament) have a female gender to them.
So, in all reality, you're more than welcome to refer to God as She or Her :)
2006-12-14 11:14:09 · answer #1 · answered by Kallan 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Man was made in the image and likness of God. God did create female along with male but remember the female was made out of the male, which is no less of a miraculous feat. We know that God is a Spirit and therefore has no physical body. Also all throughout the Old Testement God is called the Father of the Nation Israel, though the word used can be exchanged as a mas or fem in the Hebrew language, whenever gender is given it is always masculine.
Also it would be silly to assume that a female Spirit impregnated a female.
2006-12-14 19:34:26 · answer #2 · answered by disciple 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of subjective answers for this and all have a right to their opinion. None are wrong, unless they just guess to answer for the two points.
The truth is this, you can call God anything that you want if it makes you happy, but will this really make you happy?
Since the Bible was inspired by God through Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Joshua, and Paul, they used the non-gender pronoun "He" or "Him" to describe the Father. God is a non-human, but 5700 years ago, this was not a problem to refer to God as HIm. It is now, for some.
Jesus came to earth in human form to save us from sin. He was a man, He is God in every sense of the word. He told us in the John 3 - 16"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son,[f] that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
She is not the best word to use since it was not God's choice, nor was it inspired through any of the authors mentioned above. It doesn't give men any special favor or power in the world just because God is referred to as "He". It doesn't place women in second place either. We are ALL THE SAME!
But, since it is written as "He", it may be sincere and less of an argument starter to stay "pure" to the word of the Bible. You can't get thrown in hell for reading the Bible or sharing the exact words.
Keep it pure, peace to you always.
2006-12-14 19:33:12 · answer #3 · answered by joe_on_drums 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We use anthropomorphic language to describe God, Father & Mother. Isaiah states how God wanted to bring his children Israel as a mother does to her suckling breast. I don't know any men that breast feed children. Plus, the Hebrew understanding of Yahweh as the Holy Spirit was in the feminine language. Listen, God cannot be contained within the limitations of human language.
2006-12-14 19:16:57 · answer #4 · answered by Turnhog 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of my favorite bumper stickers is "God is too big for any one religion"
The Hawai'ians called God I'O or E'O. and did not assign either gender to the Creator.
I think God is evolved to the point that is beyond our comprehension, and to assign a gender is pointless.
If you want to acknowlege God in the feminine gender; I don't have a problem with that.
There are spiritual truths in virtually all religions.
2006-12-14 19:18:54 · answer #5 · answered by Rev. Two Bears 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God is both He and She.-Ardhanaari-Sivam(He) and Shakthi(She)"Siva Sakthyaa Yuktho Yathi Bhavathi Sakthaha"=All actions in the Universe are due to the combined effort of God and Goddess
2006-12-14 19:50:05 · answer #6 · answered by ssrvj 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are exactly right, you can. Maybe Jesus called Him (or Her) His Father because it fit in better with Bible days attitudes toward male authority. Maybe for some other reason. But Elohim the Bible name for God is sexless. If it makes you feel better to say She and Her I don't think He or She cares. Why pick a fight?
Obeying Him (or Her) and trusting Her (or Him) is what is important.
2006-12-14 19:15:15 · answer #7 · answered by Emmaean 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can. She knows a lot about females too and He knows a lot about males. All qualities come from one God. Females do not offend divine love.
2006-12-14 19:51:51 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
God the FATHER ( John 3:16 )
God the SON ( Acts 3:26 )
God the Holy Spirit (John 16:13)
They are all MASCULINE PERSONALITIES.
2006-12-14 19:16:28 · answer #9 · answered by Penny Mae 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You can, trust me - She's fine with that. God is the alpha and omega. The masculine and the feminine. The Mother and the Father.
2006-12-14 19:15:35 · answer #10 · answered by Elmer R 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋