Why does everyone refer to God as a male?

Question

Strange question, but I just felt like asking it.

I was reading someone else's post earlier where they were said:

"Only God Himself is perfect".

Why the male tense for a being of immense power that surely transcends the basic stereotypes that our minds use to contain infinity? Lots of people tend to say "The Lord God", "He is perfect", etc.

Why is that? Is it simply because originally some religions were a male dominated religion and still hasn't quite worn off? Is there something I am missing (which I think I am)?

On a side note, has there ever been a female Pope?

Toodles

I have to say I find Maria's comments very interesting indeed actually.

And I can definitely see the logic, but I also have to confess I can't always have seen the English language being used in that matter.

I like Gary's response as well though, kinda sums up the socities of old (and even modern day to a degree) when he talks about things like the boat as "She". Where women were little more than property of another man, and men took all the glory (no offence intended to anyone).

But the problem I see with God being referred to in the male tense even to this day would be that would suggest God has a gender, and isn't God meant to have no form directly?

Kobei - yeah there are a lot of femalde Goddesses (Osiris, Hera, Venus, Freyja, etc), but then each of the old religions also tends to be "led" by a dominant "male" god figure.

Toodles

Answer 1

God has been reffered to as male for centuries upon centuries. It's in the Bible, he's the holy father etc etc. Probably had more to do with men forcing their dominance to cover their insecurities. But, likewise, I often refer to my car as "she", boats are often referred to as "she".

Pope's, for some reason, are always male. They have to be. Because they can't stand the thought of a woman being powerful and cover that all over in religious dogma.

Answer 2

The Christian God is considered male. He is referred to as He in the bible I believe. You have to consider the time that this religion was established/created/whatever. It was a male dominated society and we are still very male dominated.

In other religions, especially, the older ones, the gods were women and later, women and men. The reason gods started out to be women in early civilizations was because women could bear children.

Look at the Egyptian, Roman, Norse, and Greek gods. There were many females among them. Today's Wicca religion believes in a goddess.

Answer 3

God sent His only begotten Son into this world to suffer and die for humankind. While He was here on Earth, He prayed 'Our Father'. The Holy Spirit is also referred to as 'He' in the New Testament several times. God made man in His own 'image and likeness'. Men and women, both son's and daughter's of God, just having different roles to play.

On your side note; It's been a while since I read his book, 'Vicars of Christ', by Peter De Rosa, but I'm almost certain he mentions a female pope, Joan.

Toodles

Answer 4

God has no gender, so calling God "He" isn't meant to specify that God = Male -- (unless you are specifically referring to God's incarnation as Jesus).

However, the Engish language has only three choices for third-person pronouns: He, She, or It.

To call God "It" would suggest an impersonal object, rather than a Being who can love. So, ruling out "It", we are left with "He" or "She".

Now we get into the history of the English language, and the way usage has come to be interpreted. When the word "she" is used, the assumption is made that we are referring to a person specifically known to be female. "He", however, can be used two different ways, depending on the context. Sometimes "he" means a person specifically known to be male. But other times, it means a person of unspecified gender.

For example, "That student flunked his exam" is evidently referring to a particular male student. But, "Every student must clean out his desk" may refer to any student, gender unspecified.

God is called "He" because the word can mean a Being of unspecifed gender. In God's case, it refers to a Being of neither gender, but it's the best we can manage given the limitations of English.

Other languages have this same problem. In French, for instance -(the only other language I'm familiar with) - there is the pronoun "on", meaning "one", which can be used for unspecified gender, rather than using "il" (he) or "elle" (she). But "on" has such a cold and impersonal connotation, that it would sound like calling God "it" in English. So the French also go with "il" (he).

Of course, part of the reason that so many languages have evolved this usage of the male pronoun, to indicate human beings in general, is that most languages evolved in male-dominant societies. But you can't totally abandon your language's commonly-understood usages just because their evolution was biased. If the language is to develop a new pronoun, it can't just be foisted on the language by fiat. It will have to happen naturally, as the language lives and grows.

Meanwhile, we should just try to remind ourselves that "He" doesn't mean that God is male, except in his 33-year incarnation as Jesus.

Answer 5

The Christo-Judaic god is male, in Genesis to Exodus he is El (a general father god of the Western Semites). After Exodus he merges with Yahweh (an aggressive bull like god from the Sinai), both are decidedly male. In Urgarit, a neighbouring city state, their El had a penis that could stretch across oceans.
Also he was married to Ashareh, a fertility goddess.

Answer 6

I'd say that the reason is that the tales where written at a time when woman had no say in anything, their role being only to serve man. Also these tales would have been written by men for men.
In many religions before the ascendancy of the judo Christian ones there was many female deities.

Answer 7

Because a long time ago Christianity was the major religion in the world and Christians believe that Jesus is God and Jesus was a man.
Also, the majority of religions are based on a man being God.

Answer 8

Because back in primitive times when god was invented to explain what stone age man could not understand, men were the dominant sex.

Women were just used for sexual purposes and providing children. End of Story.

It therefore follows that in such a culture a god should be male.

Answer 9

Yeah its the male thing,

There was allegedly a female Pope Joan round about 850's
apparently she died in childbirth and thats how everyone found out she was female.

Check the web

There was also a film made about it seen it years ago cant remember the name....check it out on the web.

There has been saints as well that have been female but had to pass themselves of as male in the early Catholic Church because of male dominance.

Answer 10

Mostly because the bible say that god created Adam in his own image... so it follows that god looks like a man!

As far as I know there has never been a female pope.... it would go against the male dominated religion!

TTFN