In the Christian faith, God is always referred to as being masculine, how and when did this tradition come about?
2007-03-15 03:46:36 · 23 answers · asked by MoPleasure4U 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
First of to Tribble
Genesis 1:27
So God created man(meaning mankind) in his own image, in the image of God he created them; MALE AND FEMALE he created them.
The word that is interpreted as the pronoun he in English, as in the above verse "he created them", is in the original Hebrew a non-gender specific word. But since we do not have those non-gender specific words in English it was translated as "he". Remember that even today we often use male specific terms to refer to humanity as a whole. How many of you have ever said, "What's up guys?" to a mixed group of people.
The fact is that God is neither male nor female. When God refers to himself it is simply as "I Am".
2007-03-15 05:04:31 · answer #1 · answered by real illuminati(Matt) 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow, the only questions you ask have to do with sexism.
It's not tradition it's truth and faith. In case you haven't noticed there are quite a few women God as a male and they are happy knowing the truth. This doesn't down grade women.
Christian men, generally, treat women better. Ask Christian women.
God the Father. Jesus the Son. Mary, Jesus's mother.
2007-03-15 03:58:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Judeo-Christian God is called "He" because Yahweh, the Israelite tribal God from whom He evolved, was a male deity. (There were many Gods and Goddesses worshipped in that part of the world at the time.) The male pronoun has been grandfathered in ever since. ;-)
2007-03-15 08:09:35 · answer #3 · answered by prairiecrow 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well when the bible says that god is a male, then people who believe in the bible will say he is a male too. I am atheist but i have read the bible before it says he is male numerous times, also the father son and holy spirit...
2007-03-15 03:50:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God became a male image because god was created in the image and likeness of male Jews who established a patriarchal society.
2007-03-15 04:40:16 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
While I doubt that God has what we consider a gender, we call God 'Him' because God presented Himself to everyone from Adam to Moses to the Biblical prophets as a masculine being.
2007-03-15 03:53:52 · answer #6 · answered by Crusader1189 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
God seems to to be referred to as a masculine figure in early Judaism, so we apparently got it from them.
2007-03-15 03:58:21 · answer #7 · answered by Randy G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of studies about how the totemistic and other early "religions" had maternal and paternal figures. When monotheistic religions became more powerful, they had paternal figures that dominated. This is reflected in mythology. Read some books by Joesph Campbell. Very good stuff.
2007-03-15 03:50:47 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Read the book: When God was a Woman...very interesting
2014-04-20 03:07:27 · answer #9 · answered by Pamela 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Th biblical God was created by a male dominated society.
2007-03-15 03:51:39 · answer #10 · answered by October 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋