Why do most people assume that god is male?

Question

FYI, before the bible was invented, society believed in female deity worship.

Answer 1

Because we still live in a male dominated society and until that ends and women are looked at as equals it will remain that way.

Also, because the early church needed a string male figure to attract pagans.

Besides, if God were a woman we'd all go to hell for a week every 28 days. :)

Answer 2

I think this is because he was created by patriarchal societies. It would have been a hard sell to get people to worship a divine feminine creator when a lot of people think males are superior. I've heard some Christians say they think of God as being neither male nor female, but outside of gender. I think this shift in theology is due to changing social views regarding women. I personally like the idea of a female deity, because I would imagine her to be loving, compassionate, and warm, a lot like my own mother. I don't actually think such a being exists but it's a nice thought. That's probably the same way how people want to imagine God to be a benevolent father figure, despite how badly he acts in the Bible.

Answer 3

Because the people who invented the Christian god need to humanize it to relate to it and the men who wrote [down] the Bible were all men and at the time women were so looked down on that to consider the all powerful God in heaven could be a she would have been absurd, and this reasoning leaks into today's beliefs.
I actually always refer to this god as "it" because I personally don't see how something so omnipresent could be of any gender. Genders have opposites, doesn't the Christian god lack an opposite? (Satan doesn't count as a true opposite as it was a servant of God before it rebelled, thus making it now, still lowly.)

Answer 4

Most people that will answer you will say ''because the bible says so''.....from the research that I have done and the education that I have had regarding Christianity...I would have to say it's because God was created by Man. Man wants control over whatever he can get his hands on. It's the same now as it was then. Christian religion is dominated by men. The evidence is in the bible.
In the creation story (the second one in chapter 2), man was created before woman...and therefore submissive to him. The same applies to God. We are submissive because He is man...I do not for one moment believe that Christianity would be so strong if God were woman.

Answer 5

Hard to say. I personally think it's ridiculous to think God is either male or female, I see God more like a good energy who takes care of us.
I think it's due to the male dominated societies that God was considered male, because they couldnt imagine a woman above them. However, in cultures where women were seen as equals or even superior to men, there were a lot of goddesses

Answer 6

Genesis 1:26

all of the bible's passages refer to God as a male.

Answer 7

Because in the Bible God is always referred to as a He. That's why most Christians believe he is a male, or at least a male entity.

Answer 8

Honestly, in most cultures it he/she is seen as a powerful and commanding all knowing force. Historically speaking, these high ranking positions are more prominently held by male figures, even throughout Greek mythology, and ancient roman tales.

I do have to admit however, that the presence as a woman portraying god does make sense. She is fertile, giving, caring, accepting, and furthermore, women tend to be better listeners.

Kudos to this question...

Answer 9

A couple of reasons.

1. That is what most people have been taught. (Remember "Our FATHER which art in heaven...")

2. When Jesus prayed addressing God, He used the Aramaic(?) word "Abba," which is translated as "Daddy" (the male parent). All biblical scholars say this is not in dispute.

There are other reasons, but these are the main two.

Answer 10

Because when the Bible was converted into English, Europeans thought women were evil and stupid. Of course God's image was defaulted to a male- women were too dumb and incpapable to be a GOD. Many religions that belittle women have a 'male' diety.