EvC Forum: God's gender

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Topic: God's gender

arachnophilia

Member (Idle past 1373 days)

Posts: 9069

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Joined: 05-21-2004

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Message 12 of 29 (174258)
01-05-2005 10:42 PM

Reply to: Message 1 by Thor
01-04-2005 6:29 PM

quote:
Gen 1:27 So God created man in his [own] image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

god appears to be a hermaphrodite.

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	Message 1 by Thor, posted 01-04-2005 6:29 PM		Thor has not replied

arachnophilia

Member (Idle past 1373 days)

Posts: 9069

From: god's waiting room

Joined: 05-21-2004

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Message 18 of 29 (175399)
01-10-2005 3:25 AM

Reply to: Message 16 by Abshalom
01-09-2005 5:00 PM

Re: Seriously Now

God of the Hebrew Bible is masculine because the priests who defined and dictated the authorized version of the dogma had defeated the priests and priestesses who included the Canaanite goddess Asherah (Ishtar),

but they failed to totally remove traditions.

for instance, the book of esther:

esther = ishtar
mordechai = marduk.

i'm interested in information on ishtar's relationship to el. i've heard of later thoughts of god having a female partner, and some relation to shekinah, but i'm rather unfamiliar in this area.

This message is a reply to:
	Message 16 by Abshalom, posted 01-09-2005 5:00 PM		Abshalom has replied

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	Message 21 by Nighttrain, posted 01-11-2005 9:13 PM	arachnophilia has not replied
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arachnophilia

Member (Idle past 1373 days)

Posts: 9069

From: god's waiting room

Joined: 05-21-2004

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Message 19 of 29 (175402)
01-10-2005 3:36 AM

Reply to: Message 14 by General Nazort
01-08-2005 6:19 PM

God has no gender. The word "he" is used to describe God because the relationship of God to humans is like that of father to son, and "he" is the human word used for fathers.

quote:
Isaiah 66:12-13

For thus said the LORD:
"I will extend to her [Jerusalem]
Prosperity like a stream
The wealth of nations
Like a wadi in flood;
And you shall drink of it.
You shall be carried on shoulders
and dandled upon knees.
As a mother comforts her son,
So I will comfort you;
You shall find comfort in Jerusalem..."

there are a few instances that portray god as a mother.

Just because there is no word to describe what God is does not mean he is limited by the words we do use to describe him.

agreed, but i think that the reason god is portrayed more often as male has to do with neither god's actual gender, or a lack of words to describe god. it probably has to do more with the society that wrote the bible: who did most of the writing?

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	Message 14 by General Nazort, posted 01-08-2005 6:19 PM		General Nazort has replied

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	Message 23 by General Nazort, posted 01-12-2005 12:36 PM		arachnophilia has replied

arachnophilia

Member (Idle past 1373 days)

Posts: 9069

From: god's waiting room

Joined: 05-21-2004

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Message 27 of 29 (176866)
01-14-2005 2:24 AM

Reply to: Message 23 by General Nazort
01-12-2005 12:36 PM

True, but overwhelmingly the primary potrayal is a father figure.

i wasn't really debating that.

I disagree, since I believe the Bible is inspired by God and thus portrays God as he wanted to be portrayed...

then why is it inconsistent? why not ALL fathership verse and no mothers? why say we are made in the image of god -- male AND female?

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	Message 23 by General Nazort, posted 01-12-2005 12:36 PM		General Nazort has not replied

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