I sometimes make God sound male in my blog posts by using the words "His" or "Him." I apologize to anyone who is offended by this. The politically correct part of me knows that making God male isn't right, but in truth, I refer to God that way mainly because I tend to stay faithful to old translations and traditional language. I like antiques.
At my son's bar mitzvah, the rabbi offered me some neutral translations, and I told him I preferred the language I was most familiar with "May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you..."
Three years ago, I was standing in a line of women waiting to give my business card to spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson. She had just completed a stirring speech at Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral. I was second in line when an older woman in front of me started lecturing Williamson for referring to God as male through her pronoun use. The complaining woman was understandably irate, but she lambasted Williamson for so long that it ultimately became tiresome. I remember she was saying things like, "You don't know how hard feminists of my generation have been working on this issue. You don't seem to realize how important this whole question of gender is..." And Williamson was great. Very composed. She kept mirroring back phrases like "I hear you," "I know," "I understand why you are upset."
Finally, the angry woman stomped off, and Williamson bit her lip, looked at the rest of us standing there and said, "How'd I do?" And we all laughed off the tension.
I will say this: When I use "Him" or "His" or "Lord," I'm really am thinking "Almighty" in gender-neutral terms. I truly don't see God as male. And I think it is delightful when speakers go out of their way to say "Her." I relish that newness, but I just haven't made the transition yet despite the fact that the "movement" to make God gender neutral has been around for twenty or thirty years or more.
How strongly do you feel about this issue? I'm curious. I'm thinking I should bring this idea into my higher consciousness and probably make the permanent gender-neutral switch.
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as you know jesus has address god as his father.
hello folks, I guess if i thought gender was this important i'd also figure what race and so on, see it don't matter to me, all that. what matters is that i know that i am not alone any where i go and that i always have unconditional love all the time. pretty simple. wondering about the gender of god makes about as much sense as thinking your worth or value in gods eyes being only monetary. or that the church or the body of believers can only do good if they wait till the money comes before doing anything. look around you at what god did with nothing. thanks for the opportunity to say this. have a beautiful summer.
My understanding is that the custom of referring to God exclusively as male was really reinforced during the establishment of Christianity by Constantine and by the King James translation of the Bible. From what I've read, earlier Greek texts referred to the Holy Spirit as female, thus having a female counterbalance to God the Creator (later translated as God the Father). Also, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), certain names for God (such as Ruach -- the wind or breath) were often used with feminine pronouns.
Certainly most non-Christian (e.g., Hindu) and pre-Christian (e.g., Pagan) traditions recognize both male and female aspects of God. To me, the problem with referring to God exclusively and always as male is that it is too limiting. Maybe that's what the woman was trying to say to Marianne Williamson -- not that she wanted her to always refer to God as "she" (that would be equally limiting), but rather to incorporate/acknowledge God's feminine qualities as well as masculine (Yin/Yang).
At my church (United Church of Christ), my pastor alternates between male and female pronouns or uses "God" or other gender neutral terms.
The Bible says God our Father
IT IS A RELIGION THING
GOD JUST IS CHRIST TOOK UP IN MAN MAYBE HE WILL COME AS A WO-MAN
NEXT TIME IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT THOUGH ITS ABOUT LOVE
LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF ARE WE ARE BROTHERS KEEPER ?
WHEN WE LOVE THY ENEMY WE LOVE AS GOD THAT IS IT IN A NUT SHELL
Where Are You This Moment
Oh dear God in this exact moment I need to find what I can not
My heart searches the light that eludes my soul this very hour
Is there a sign I have missed in my misguided journey or forgot
In my mind at times You live aloft in some far far distant tower
The road is long and winding set before me to travel and find
This destination that the heart yearns to find peace and comfort
Some call it heaven, others speak of home, not a place but mind
Religion set out sign post but call to pay measured coins of sort
Is Love from God for sale, or is it free will for us to find God’s love
Can you with a treasure find the Utmost High in that far far away land
Must this be the road we travel with each religion at every corner of
Selling the truth that masses buy in measures as they empty our hands
I left that way to seek the road less traveled to find that light post to follow
His truth, His life, His way, is straight as is the light energy of the cosmic force
The Christ is not a man but a way that was to be walked, this path so hallow
He entered a man that gave way to his will to be as one with Father, the source
Yes, I love Jesus, but I love the Christ more, in him our journey begins and fulfills
So, Christ, help me to walk the path and to love as You did so perfectly and commit
Know that distance is not far, but outside space and time, may I love as Christ wills
Fill the days with Christ love , living the moment, not asking where are you this moment
AS YOU MAY GUESS I FIT NOT AS A CHRISTIAN AT LEAST THE MODERN DAY ONE BUT SEE JESUS AS TEACHER MASTER OF MAN A SON OF GOD
AS I AM AND ALL ARE BUT NOT SEASONED OR HONORABLE AS HE
MAY SOME DAY WE SEEK WITH TRUE GODLY LOVE AND FIND THAT GOD THE MOTHER OF ALL CREATION THE FATHER OF ALL WISDOM AND THE SON THAT ALL STRIVE TO BE BECOME AS ONE FOR ALL ETERNITY LOVE TO ALL
LOVES US ALL