If God doesnt have a gender, why do you call him 'heavenly father'?

Question

Its a pretty valid question.

And if its just a metaphor, dont you feel like you limit Gods capabilities by calling Him a 'father' and not a 'mother' for example?

Answer 1

It's inconceivable that - at the time the Bible was written - God should be referred to as "heavenly mother". Both the Judaic and the Roman cultures were EXTREMELY patriarchal, and there's no way around that. Jesus' ministry ran counter to that, but it is an example that the church has struggled to live up to ever since, with only a few notable exceptions.

Still, there are maternal traits and feminine characteristics of God, even in the patriarchal scriptures. Most Christians still have trouble referring to God as "She" or "Mother" or anything feminine, but it doesn't bother me - or a growing segment of the church - at all. I like the new gender-neutral pronouns, personally. "Ze".

Peace to you.

Answer 2

'Intriguing question. There does rest an answer, a much higher, deeper reason and truth than the fore mentioned written above, but if given over, such truth would read as something out of fiction thought written by a demented author.

However, "monte54que" above comes closest to resolving the unrest.

For our purposes, we are apt to say in any case that God is an "It" rather than a Him or Her, though either or any is on point. All else is but spin -- spin of the Mind.

What designation and compass is best is how one understands it, according to one's belief and Faith. To that extent all are true and correct, for no one's reach is invalid or incorrect nor is one's Faith or belief more or less right than another's so long as one does not endeavor to profane God, oneself, or that of another.

How one chooses to address what God is, is that individual's truth and thus is ever proper by the High Idea. Gender, or polarity, is an essential force, energy, and expression of God, neither pole is any more or less existent and spiritually viable than the other.

Time, place, and culture -- or say, epics, geographies, and traditions are of little consequence. These things are deciduous. They change. God is change yet same; hence, a candle flame set alight yesterday is not the same flame as is the flame burning today, yet it is. Change is both natural and spiritual for our given state, which is to say, a physical state.

To say God is to speak of that which lives. Being 'living,' It changes to meet and compliment change. And what potent Faith remains so without the capacity to change and to compliment change and without knowing the inevitable decree is to change and resolve to the harmonies?: God is harmony and nothing if not that.

Surely as the aspect of the male polarity is favored and does still find favor as has evidenced over the course of millennia, so does that same principle prompt the reciprocal, as has a reversal well begun to. Life has as easily to favor the female aspect as that of the male, at which event will individuals display as doctrinaire a dogma in their beliefs that God is female and they will give evidence and with as much ardor that theirs is 'the' truth as we observe today regarding the male aspect -- that God is presumed the 'Heavenly Mother': but simply, it matters not.

Answer 3

The Hebrew seen authority replaced into extremely distinctive than what our secular society sees at present because of the fact the pinnacle of enjoyed ones, the pinnacle of kin, the pinnacle of Klan, and the pinnacle of the Tribe. the relationship of a Jewish father and son replaced into additionally how they observed the supernatural international. The son replaced into predicted to be thoroughly and thoroughly obedient to his father. He replaced into to check his skills, commerce and information and while called upon to act for his fathers in corporation and kin concerns. for that reason the final Being replaced into preserved to be interior the comparable ineffective because of the fact the male tribal chief. God is a tension, means in case you will possibly and that's real that “HE” is neither male nor woman and yet “HE” is the two. carry close the assumption and enable go of the nouns and pronouns. We (the international) have adequate injustice creditors and much to few seers.

Answer 4

thats a good question. the reason for calling G-d "father" is not one of gender, but of relationship. most people who follow abrahamic religions relate to G-d more in the role of a father than of a mother.

Answer 5

Because at the time the Bible was written, men were more important that women, so calling God Father is out of respect since the choices are calling God are it, she, or he.

At least that's what I've heard.

Answer 6

The Abrahamic Religions are misogynistic.
I am a deist, I believe that God is a duality male/female, religions made this God out to be a male character because of the patriarchal times and the culture of the people that started religions.
Religions are a sham.

Answer 7

There are two basic reasons. First, both Judaism and Christianity came into being in a patriarchal, structured society. Second, our English language has no neuter pronouns in it.

Answer 8

Adam was said to be fashioned after God. Not the product after He separated the womb from Adam, which became man and wo-man. Considering that Adam is man and we today, call man He or Father, then He is called Father.

Answer 9

God is the Father of creation. He is the beginning and then Jesus was with God and is God. In John 1:1.

It says man was made in God's image and women from man. Male is the dominate physical specimen. Women was given to man as a companion. To be respected and served as one flesh in marriage.

God as father and we are (as believers in Jesus (sons of the most high). Humans understand what father means when we become a dad. We are to look to God as our father from above in the same respect. We are his children , even at 82 years old.
My father is passed on and it is good to know that the God in heaven loves me and is watching over me.

Answer 10

In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns. While God is not a man, but is a Spirit, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to mankind. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the Apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who God is. To assert that God chose a female form to be revealed to man is not consistent with the pattern established by Scripture. Again, had God chosen a feminine form, there would be more evidence in Scripture of that. That evidence simply does not exist. While God makes allowances in order to help mankind understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to the nature of who He is.