Christians: Female representation of God?

Question

Why is God never represented under a female form?

The notion of "Holy Father" always seems a bit limited to me. Of course, under a patriarcal system like ancient mediterranean tribes, a religion with only one god would need to be Male for credibility purposes.

Still, why limit God to a human form (male)? Or, rather, why exclude the female form from potentially divine. Why do we have the Son, the Father and the Holy Spirit (bird); instead of the Child, the Father and the Mother as the Holy Trinity?

[Some speculate that the early form of the Holy Trinity was the second I mentionned, but was cut out in the First Council of Nice... I tend to agree with that: make Family a sacred thing.]

I have to admit that the reluctance of the Church to allow women to be associated with anything divine was the first thing that began to drive me away from christianity.

So, aside from the mention "Holy Father", why is God never a woman?

>>TAT

Actually, a Hermaphrodite God would be much more acceptable and make a lot more sense...

>>SNCK
Actually, accepting the Bible is something extremely personnal, thus should be taken personnally.

When you say the Bible is not a commentary on women's right, it's quite the opposite. The Bible as been extremely undermeaning to women, especially smart, independant and educated ones. The fact that God is "male" has been a tool to associate women with something "lesser than those created in God's image".

And the absence of female representations in the Bible is, and always has been, an excuse to cut half the population from decision making.

I think men (and some women) still have a hard time accepting women as something else than second class citizens. I think the recent picture of Hilary Clinton is proof enough of that.

I blame this attitude on all the meditarrean monotheistic religions. Asian countries, though underdevelopped, intergrate women's right more quickly and efficiently than Occident, simply because religius objections aren't an issue

Answer 1

I really don't know or understand why there is no feminine aspect in Christianity, outside of Mary. Even Mary Magdalene, who Jesus is said to have believed understood his teachings better than anyone else, is not a very significant figure with regard to Christian worship.

Even in the worship of the god El, precursor to the Judeo-Christian god, who had a wife named Ashara, the worship of Ashara fell into disfavor. I think that might be why there is no divine female presence in Christianity.

There are some who think that Mary was elevated in Catholic worship to appease goddess-worshipping pagans who the Catholocs hoped to convert more easily by including her. I have no idea whether there is any truth to that or not.

Answer 2

Hello my dearest! Well, where to start? ha ha ha. First let us start with the fact, it was men, old men who wrote this.... . They were afraid to loose their power to the women, and what better way to make the women always be on second place at best? Hey let God be the one who said it was so! I don`t believe God are so limited or let us say it straight, stupid he can`t see the greatness in women, and why should he/her/it don`t do presise that? I mean, was/is God a one team guy, or did he go both ways? ha ha ha, sorry, but the holy book is so full of SHaving cream, that it should have been banned, burned at the stakes, and a lot of things that is worse! but back in the haydays, the priesthood was the law. Only men were reading the man-written dribble that was written. Men desided four books, and they left out the other books, why? It is so clear as daylight, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the will of God, it is rather his eager, power hungry men, that took the book and made it in the Manly men`s way, men`s egoistical, evil way! ha ha ha, so in my understanding of the bible and the image it gives us sinners, is quite different from what the message of love and forgiveness it was meant to be. I could keep at it for days you know, Maria Magdalena!!! was she the most important disciple around Jesus? Did they have a fling? A child? But, we are safe anyway, the christians, they turn their other side of their face, so they are ready to get the next hit. We see how the pope kills half of Africa, and he gets paid for it too. How nice! What ever you do you people in Africa, don`t use the only thing so far that we know can keep the virus called HIV/AIDS away. GOD SAY, DON`T USE ANY CONDOMS TO PROTECT YOU AGAINST THIS TERRIBLE PLAUGE WHO KILLS ALMOST EVERY PARENT THERE IS THERE! I don`t believe that God is so totally inhuman in his ways, if he was, would he not be doing the very thing he is trying to keep us away from? Killing eachother? Hello?

Oi oi oi, I do believe in some kind of God, but as you might have guessed, not exactly the way the people out on the hard right side of things views the situation......

So God is more than just a man/woman. I believe he/she is both and more than meet the eyes of a human being, man or woman.

I also do believe Jesus was here, but His word, and how he helped the needy, women and men, boys and girls and everyone in need for help OK.

Well, this shows me that I should keep quiet, I get way to eager with my theories and my disaproval of the "holy-book". Anyway, Happy holidays! Peace and love from Norway

Answer 3

There are some who take the Bible quite literally. In Genesis it clearly states that God created man in his own image, and that woman was created from Adam's rib. I know it sounds like a fairytale, but in Biblical times it was the age of miracles. There are many examples of miraculous occurrences throughout both the old and new testaments; things that sound pretty farfetched in our modern times. How was anyone able to chronicle the story of creation, when there were no people alive to witness it? That's where the impasse lies in my mind. But to a true believer, there are no doubts whatsoever that man was created before woman, and the stories in Genesis were taken from the Word of God. After all, we did have to start somewhere, so believers believe what we may consider to be unbelievable. That's probably the biggest argument today for the cause of male superiority. That had not changed for many centuries until the advent of Women's Lib.

Answer 4

I think that designating a gender role for God is a matter of convenience not substance. God does not reproduce sexually so I would say that he/she is beyond a gender role. God is niether male nor female. He/She is simply God.

I have to take exception to your comments about "Asian" countries adopting women's rights more quickly. I have lived in Japan for over 6 years now and it is still very obviously male dominant. Women don't have nearly the parity with men that the do in the U.S. and other "Western"/"European" (mostly judeo-christian) countries. Japan is not even the worst offender in Asia. Here they just religate women to low level secretarial/service type work while all corperate/governmental leadership is male. In China they still routinely abandon or murder female children (a la one child only policy) and in South East Asian Countries human trafficing of women is a HUGE problem.

The U.S. Canada, Australia, Britain etc. and Europe grant more equal rights to men and women than any other places in the world and if you really look at the facts I don't see how you can rationally argue otherwise.

Answer 5

Many Christians believe that God is not a singular entity. He/She has three personalities, the father, the son, and the holly spirit. These personalities are separate but not. I know its hard for our finite minds to grasp something being whole but separate. Think of it as a beam of light, it appears to be a singular ray but place a prism in front of it and you’ll see that that beam of light is actually composed of several different beams. They are whole but can be separate. Now the father and the son are both of course male personalities but some Christian theologians believe that the holly spirit is actually a feminine personality. So if you believe that then God really isn’t just male but female as well.

Answer 6

I don't really think heaven will be about male/female forms. I think the symbolism of God as the Father was written so that we as his childern would put God in the place of the traditional Father figure as its been in most societies.

I think much of the bible is written to try and help us understand that for which we are not ready or incappable of understanding. Take the creation of the universe and earth for example. Do you think if God actual explained the creation of the universe to todays scientist they would be able to follow all the physics, forces and natural properties? I don't, yet in the book of Genesis he does just that.

Your letting your attatchement to your earthy physical form ment for reproduction affect your search for understanding and faith and I personally think that is a flawed approach. Don't take this search so personally. Bible is ment as a teaching tool and guide, not a commentary on womans rights.

Answer 7

Because Jesus, His own Son, referred to God as FATHER, not Mother. When He responded to the plea, "Teach us to pray.." He said "Our FATHER, who art in Heaven". Read your Bible. Throughout the Bible, God is referred to as a male.

When we take away from or add to scripture, we are on dangerous and blasphemous grounds. The use of female deities is an old practice which is more akin to Paganism, Druidism, and Witchcraft. You are on very dangerous ground here. This is not a thing that man decided. It is what God said about Himself.

If the use of a male pronoun is what drove you away from Christianity, you need to really read the scriptures which describe the attributes of Jehovah God. This isn't a women's rights issue...it is about allowing God to be God and realizing we are the creation and He is the creator.

Answer 8

God chose to use the male form to represent Him, but this does not mean that female is not as important to Him. We were made in His image, both male and female, so He has both characterics. God loves His girls and uses them in great ways especially when we make ourselves available to Him (I am a lady). In His kingdom, there is no male or female, we are one in Him. I don't pay any attention to those guys that want to tell women there place in the church, we all are chosen for ministry and have a calling on our life. We need to find it and obey what God tells us to do. When men come in to try to tell women they cannot talk, it is just their own needing to control. We need to pray for them also, love and forgive them and move forward in Jesus. Christianity has to do with serving Jesus, not a church.

Answer 9

It makes more sense to remember that all the qualities of women and men come from God. In the beginning man made God man-like, but this error doesn't effect God's infinite nature.

Answer 10

The Bible always refers to God as a he because was a man, Jesus Christ. It isn't a downplay of women. Its just that God is simply a man. Nowhere in scripture does it say anything else.