Christians and Jews: Is God male, and if so, does that mean He has male sex organs?

Question

If you think He does have genitals, then is He intact or circumcised? Why or why not?

If you think He is male, but doesn't literally have genitals, then how can "He" accurately be called "male". What makes Him male if He doesn't have male reproductive organs?

If you feel that "He" is actually without gender, then can it also be agreed on that males should not be given privilege over women because of the idea that males were made in God's image and women weren't. That would mean that all humans are made in God's image and not just men.

Answer 1

why do you always have to think about genitals ...

Answer 2

1. Yes, and no, I'm not being a wise guy. Yes to all. You describe a simple way of discussing the Trinity. I 2. The Romans. The Bible even is quite specific about that! And the whole point of Christianity is that while Jesus died, he was resurrected. I think that has some applicability to your question. 3. Read the tenth chapter of Matthew. there are lots of other places, but this will do for starters. 4. That's the doctrine of Christianity. 5. Yes. However, it is not possible to say what would have happened if those other events had happened.

Answer 3

First of all, in Jewish thought gender goes beyond physical anatomy. Certain traits are mystically linked with maleness and femaleness.
For instance, giving is male, and receiving is female. Raw potential is male, and actualized potential is female. Above-to-below is male, and below-to-above is female. There are more, but that's all I can remember at the moment.

If you don't understand why the above should be so, you're in good company. Kabbala isn't easy; that's why the people who study it are supposed to be learned scholars over forty.

God is neither male nor female. In the Hebrew language, some names of God are female, and some are male. Elokim and Lord are male. Kel, and the Shechina (God's presence) are female. I believe YHVH is female, too, but I'm not sure.

Ok, so why do we say "He" most of the time? For one, because it's convenient, and it's more personal than saying "It". The other reason has to do with the above-mentioned male and female traits. God's relationship to the humanity is such that God is in the position of being male, and people are in the position of being female.
To take the three examples I used above, God is the ultimate giver. There's nothing for Him to take; He created the entire world. Human beings, on the other hand, are takers from the start. We owe everything to God, including our very existance.
The reason God created us is so that we could make the most out of ourselves and the world. Thus, God gives us the raw potential, the world and everything in it. We take the raw potential, and utilize it the upmost (or at least, we are supposed to).
And, last but not least, the up and down thing. Obviously, God is above-to-below, bringing holiness down to the world. People, on the other hand, are below-to-above, elevating the mundane world into holiness.

And for your last point- who says men are given privilenge over women? We've got seperate roles, sure, but that's why God created two genders instead of one. Both sexes are equal in God's eyes. (And incase you were wondering, I'm an Orthodox woman).

Answer 4

I think that God doesn't have a gender, and i agree that he made all humans in his image. If God was a male though i don't think he would have male genitals, because I don't think God would need them, and he would probably have the image of a man and not woman because he created man first, Adam, but no one really knows, you can think of him looking like anything you want.

Answer 5

God is omnisexual, yet asexual. There is nothing in either the Old or New Testaments that gives men absolute power over women (warning to Q'uran readers and malinterpreters). There are suggestions as to how to get along, and the repercussions of not doing so. We all have our appropriate place; but the women's liberation movement of the late 1960's confused and obfuscated much of the earlier wisdom.

First, there are 2 theories as to how women became what tey were (and are). One is the Qabblistic story of Lilith, created out of soil, and equal to Adam in all respects. She was infused with hubris, was too much like Adam to be a helpmeet, and was ultimately banished to Hell--the Queen of the demonesses. God altered His approach, made Woman a part of Man (the rib thing), and so Eve was conceived. Remember, the Old Testament (Torah) was written to an audience of a patriarchal society.

Without getting too much into the nitty-gritty details, there is no historic attribute of God's sexuality--I would propose that God is beyond such mediocrities. Also, there is no major historical evidence that gives man authority over women, except for the human intervention into the scriptures that steer our current major religions.

All humans are made in God's image.

Answer 6

It is an excellent question. I have little doubt that God is thought of as male because of the male domination in societies through the ages. On problem though: If God doesn't have genitals, NO humans are made in God's image. I think humans make God in THEIR image.

Answer 7

Reproductive organs are for creatures that need to reproduce so that its specie might survive. By definition God is eternal and does not need to reproduce.

The use of the masculine gender nouns and pronouns are language quirks or customs that were dominant during the writing of the Bible and other sacred texts of other religions.
The earlier societies (especially Jewish) were very much patriarchal in their culture and the language of those times reflects this bias.

The current alternative is to use a neuter pronoun "It" to refer to God. However in current usage, "it" normally refers to an
inanimate object. Some would consider its use as blasphemous.

Answer 8

In Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish etc...
Genius 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
I think that should answer you last paragraph. I really haven't thought about God and his genitals or lack of. I would like to note, that in ancient Judaism they did worship a female counter part to God. It was suppressed, but in some synagogues they still turn to the door and pray to her as well.

Answer 9

Male with real circumcised genitals. He was a MAN not a God and he was Jewish so he was circumcised.
Men and Women are equal but different. LIFE is in Gods image, our form is merely a passing phase and not uniquely God like.

Answer 10

Buddha is Cosmic, Universal, Is not a male or female and both male and female, Is neither here nor there, but Is everywhere. Is everything and Is No thing.

Is even in ignorance as well as in intelligence, is in death and in life, is humane but not human, is the creator and the created.

Is everything you can perceive, all that you are able to conceive, and even that which you cannot perceive or conceive.

Is the Alpha and the Omega - Is Unlimited - Is the law.

Take time my child to absorb the possibilities of what Buddha really IS.

Answer 11

Just accept God for who HE is. It says in the Bible that God is male. Look in Genesis Chapter 2 verses 1-3. You can't rationalize God. HE is who HE is, and we can't change HIM. ALL people were created in God's image males and females alike,so what does that have to do with anything?