Christians: why does Christianity exclude and deny the Divine Feminine?

Question

Other than "because that's the way it is" or "because that's what the Bible says" can you give me any reason why you have God the Father and God the Son, but not God the Mother or God the Daughter?

I'd like your opinion, outside of "that's the way it is". If YOU can think of some reason why. If you can't think of a GOOD reason, that's cool. I can't either. Please don't quote me scriptures. If you can't help it, please pass on answering this.

Answer 1

This questions tickles some sensitive theological and anthropological areas. Anthropologically speaking, a sovereign male god is a recent concept. Before the human race understood logically and cognitively how our reproductive system works, the divine female was worshiped as the sovereign deity because, well, that's where babies come from.

Prior to the realization that a male need be involved as well, the belief (scientists speculate) was that women were "possessed" by souls that grew inside their bellies until ready to be born as humans. Of course, the fact that on the same day as her "possession", little Ayla and that tall handsome caveman from down the street had a quick wrestling match between the bedskins was totally overlooked. Men really served no purpose other than hunting food and fighting each other, so the idea of a male god would have been quite alien to people at that time.

God got a sex change once humanity realized that we have sex to make babies, and that there needs to be a representative from both sexes for the whole baby thing to work. With this revelation, society gravitated toward a male-dominated society as well as a male-dominated religion.

Now, for the theological stuff (don't worry, I promise not to spit scripture at you):

One reason Christianity denies the idea of the Divine Feminine is the fact that Christianity is basically a remix of Judaism. Jewish culture 2000 years ago was extremely male-dominated (as were all cultures then, unfortunately). The men are were in charge, therefore god was a man. Jesus (if he even existed) was a Jew, and, as a good , god-fearing Jew, believed in an omnipotent, omniscent, male god. The other reason has to do with dualism and its covert presence in Christianity. Dualism, as I'm sure you know, is the idea of polar opposites. Up/down, good/evil, female/male, etc. Officially, Christianity denies anything to do with this idea. The reason? Well, if god is omnipotent and all good, then there must be another being of equal power as god except evil, right? Since Christianity is so militant about there being ONE god, there can't be two equally powerful beings in the universe. (The exception, of course, is Satan, who acts as a foil to god. And as an excuse for doing anything you want and getting away with it. The Christians deny that Satan has power equal to god's, but most of them don't even fully understand their own religion, so its usually safe to assume that they're full of it. But that's a story for another time.)

I hope this answer was helpful. Not very many people question the mind-trap called Christianity, its refresing to see someone asking good questions like this. Keep it up.

Answer 2

I didn't used to be this way.

In the beginning, the Holy Spirit was feminine, indeed the original Greek word was Aghion Pneuma meaning 'Holy/Divine Breath'. The word Pneuma is/was feminine. It was relatively far on in the development of Christianity when all trace of the Feminine was excised from the Trinity...

Similarly, a key figure in early Christianity, both Gnostic and non-Gnostic, was the Sophia, otherwise known as the Divine Sophia or the Virgin Sophia, Sophia meaning "Wisdom of God". To this day she is venerated in Eastern Christianity, indeed the St Sophia mosque which was once a Byzantine Church was entirely dedicated to her. The capital of Bulgaria, Sofia, is still named after her.

For the Gnostics, the Divine Sophia was the szyzgy or Feminine Counterpart to Christ. For the non-Gnostics she is the Feminine Aspect of God and co-substantive with the Trinity (cf Father Sergei Bulgakov's SOPHIA: THE WISDOM OF GOD). In both instances the Sophia is the Divine incarnate in 'All Created Things' and, along with Christ, watches over and helps humanity. For the Gnostics she also represented an aspect of the human soul trapped in the material world, Christ being sent to bring her back... She appears in the Old Testament in the Book of Proverbs, actually speaking in her own voice in Chapters 8 & 9. As an image of the Sacred Feminine in Christianity she inspired Hildegard von Bingen, Jakob Boehme, Jane Leade and a host of other visionary mystics.

Finally the Cults of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdelene remain powerful images of the Sacred Feminine, although since the Medieval period both have been reduced and disempowered. But if you look at Gothic Cathedrals and the writings of St Bernard of Clairvaux you will see how the Virgin is elevated to a Cosmic Status. In the Eastern Orthodox Church the doctrine of the Theotokos - the Mother of God - confers on Mary semi-divine status. And for the Beguines of the Medieval period, the figure of Mary Magdelene as the woman who loved Christ the most was as powerful an image of human spirituality as any other...

Nonetheless there is no good reason why these expressions should have been suppressed other than basic male fear and hatred of femininity. That is one of the reasons why Christianity has lost so much of its appeal and spirituality over the centuries. Nothing can survive if it suppresses and denies expression of the higher side of 50% of the human race, be it of whichever gender.

Answer 3

I was actually talking to my mother about this today!

Wicca belive in God and The Godess.. They say to create life needs a man and a woman, not only a man! And though, myself, I don't know if I believe this specific afirmation, they EXPLAIN why! They say why they believe things!

The problem with most christian faiths is exactly the lack of sense they make. I agree with you so much in wanting a answer besides than 'because it says in the bible' or 'because it's what it is'.

I don't believe the bible holds the words of God or hols the ultimate truth. I see it as a mostly historical book. But you know? The answer to your question is actually 'Because it says in the blible'.

Ok, you must be thinking: 'This girl is AT LEAST crazy'. Let me explain better, shall I? Well.. They deny it, because in their eyes, the bible tells the truth! And as it says differently in the bible, they deny the existence of female divinities. They deny it, because the thing they look up to (the bible) denies it.

Putting it even simpler. Let's say I have this cook book that I ONLY cook by it. And this book is the only thing I look up to. And though, many people say I can use strawberries AND chocolate for a cake, this book says I only use chocolate. If all I see and believe in is the book, I'll deny the strawberries..

Did i make sense?? I hope so!!!

Answer 4

Well, Christianity neither excludes or denies anything as to God. God is a male figure. Jesus was born God's son. There is only one God, Jesus Christ and God are one and the same. The virgin Mary though is treated as a divine being but still not the same as God.

And, even though, we refer to God the Father, God is the Supreme Being and does not have a sex nor does he need one. Mary was a mortal though and so to have a son by immaculate conception, God is male figure for that purpose.
Also in Christianity women are man's helpmate, but still equal in every way.

Answer 5

Oh Sissy,
You ask the best questions and as I read the answers it NEVER ceases to amaze me - like the ones inferring that you just recently learned about the Feminine Divine through the DaVinci Code! (Oh Their God!) - how unknowledgable some people are. The accusations! It's for the shock value I stay on here. Just cracks me up. Loves and freckly fannies to us all. Bright Blessings

Answer 6

Will a former Christian do?

They don't really, especially not the Catholics. They disguise her a bit, but she's there. What, after all, is the Mother of God but a Goddess, the Divine Feminine? Mary is treated as close to a goddess as they dare.

Answer 7

Usually when a bunch of old men get together, and come up with Hebraic nonsense, it usually denies woman's place in the universe, because they are sared sh!tless at what we can do! Judith's story was eliminated from the bible, as was Lilith's and Mary Magdalene's. You can't have birth without women, and because we give life, there was the fear that we could also give death. The trinity was stolen from paganism, from the Morrigan, the Zorya and the Triple Goddess. No christian who says they read history will tell you this. Even the Tetragrammaton's initials originally spelt "eve".

Answer 8

Not all Christians deny there are divine women. Was their ever a son without a mother and a father? All people are the children of God, sons and daughters.

Psalms 82
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

John 10
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence,
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood,
Was I nurtured near thy side?

In the second verse, she said:

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth,
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth.
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, “You’re a stranger here”;
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

Verse three:

I had learned to call thee Father,
Through thy Spirit from on high,
But until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heavens are parents single?
No; the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason, truth eternal
Tells me I’ve a mother there.

Verse four:

When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
(Hymns, no. 138.)

Answer 9

I love your questions----we both know that women were second class citizens in Bible days. That is one reason for the Divine feminine being left out. The other reason, I believe, is because of the worship of Goddesses in the surrounding countries being so prevelant---this had to be eradicated to make way for the male dominated religions. Anyway, just thought I'd throw my two coppers worth in------Blessings!

Answer 10

Funny you should say not to quote scripture. Christianity is defined by the Word of God - scripture. So don't ask "why christianity" if you don't allow the scripture to be quoted.

Bottom line - God has spoken in the scriptures and if you bothered to read them you won't find a "divine femine" because it doesn't exist.