Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Zeichman · 04-19-2005, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

Well, by trinitarian I'm referring to the royal family. I never said that Mary was divine, in fact you should have caught the opposite when I said that Jesus wasn't originally divine (contrary to mythicism). And I'm sure the trinitarian ideal wasn't in the original (whatever that means) religion. Now later, the trinity became only divine, i.e. Father Son and Holy Spirit. Late Christianity elevated the HS and JC to divine positions. But the reverance for Mary, evidenced by Luke's gospel does seem to come from the common archetype of the royal family, probably from Egypt (though I still see it as merely an archetype).

Gotcha.

*goes off to reread Luke*

Chris Weimer · 04-19-2005, 04:15 PM

Zeichman, while you read the gospel of Luke ensignto JesusMysteries and read Doherty's arguements of the dating and redaction of the gospel.

Zeichman · 04-19-2005, 04:32 PM

would you perhaps have a link to that?

Toto · 04-19-2005, 04:57 PM

I think CW is referring to the JesusMysteries list

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JesusMysteries

You need to join the list to read the messages.

You can get to Doherty's website through www.jesuspuzzle.com

John A. Broussard · 04-22-2005, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

I think CW is referring to the JesusMysteries list

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JesusMysteries

You need to join the list to read the messages.

You can get to Doherty's website through www.jesuspuzzle.com

While all this is of interest, I think we wandered a way from the initial thrust of this thread.

Does anyone know why god is still referred to as a "he" in all major Christian religions?

Toto · 04-22-2005, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John A. Broussard

While all this is of interest, I think we wandered a way from the initial thrust of this thread.

Does anyone know why god is still referred to as a "he" in all major Christian religions?

Three reasons: tradition, tradition, and more tradition.

Or four reasons: tradition, tradition, tradition, and sexism.

You can google "why is god a he" and find this from that loony, CS Lewis:

From God in the Dock:

Quote:

Goddesses have, of course, been worshipped: many religions have had priestesses. But they are religions quite different in character from Christianity.... Since God is in fact not a biological being and has no sex, what can it matter whether we say He or She, Father or Mother, Son or Daughter?

Christians think that God Himself has taught us how to speak of Him. To say that it does not matter is to say either that all the masculine imagery is not inspired, is merely human in origin, or else that, though inspired, it is quite arbitrary and unessential. And this is surely intolerable. (1970, p. 237, emp. in orig.).

Surely intolerable? Why is he so sure?

Quote:

We have no authority to take the living and semitive figures which God has painted on the canvas of our nature and shift them about as if they were mere geometrical figures.... It is painful, being a man, to have to assert the privilege which Christianity lays upon my own sex. I am crushingly aware how inadequate most of us are, in our actual and historical individualities, to fill the place prepared for us. But it is an old saying in the army that you salute the uniform not the wearer.... A given man may make a very bad husband; you cannot mend matters by trying to reverse the roles... (1970).

Weep for poor CS Lewis and the crushing burden of his masculinity.

But there are some liberals who are changing the language, although they get nothing but scorn and ridicule from their conservative fellow Christians.

andrewcriddle · 04-23-2005, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Three reasons: tradition, tradition, and more tradition.

Or four reasons: tradition, tradition, tradition, and sexism.

You can google "why is god a he" and find this from that loony, CS Lewis:

From God in the Dock:

Quote:

Goddesses have, of course, been worshipped: many religions have had priestesses. But they are religions quite different in character from Christianity.... Since God is in fact not a biological being and has no sex, what can it matter whether we say He or She, Father or Mother, Son or Daughter? Christians think that God Himself has taught us how to speak of Him. To say that it does not matter is to say either that all the masculine imagery is not inspired, is merely human in origin, or else that, though inspired, it is quite arbitrary and unessential. And this is surely intolerable. (1970, p. 237, emp. in orig.).

Surely intolerable? Why is he so sure?

IF one seriously regards the Bible as containing God's revelation then it is very difficult to seriously regard the content of this revelation as being a set of abstract doctrines separable from the form in which they are actually conveyed in the Bible.

It is part of the way that the Bible speaks about God that it uses Masculine imagery far more frequently than Feminine imagery. Attempts to construct a Biblical doctrine of God and God's relation with humanity that simply ignore this are at risk of becoming an arbitrary selection from the Bible of the parts one personally likes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

But there are some liberals who are changing the language, although they get nothing but scorn and ridicule from their conservative fellow Christians.

If using Feminine language for God is intended to remind people that all language about God (Masculine Feminine or Neuter) is in a fundamental sense metaphorical then it may be a positive step.

If the Feminine language is intended to be taken literally it would be a different matter.

Andrew Criddle

Chili · 04-23-2005, 04:17 PM

How about: a masculine God is a good match for mother earth.

mopc · 04-23-2005, 04:21 PM

Not only tradition, but sexism.

Chili · 04-23-2005, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mopc

Not only tradition, but sexism.

So let's change mother earth first and make them lightning bolts go up instead of down (unless you think God has a beard but shouldn't have one).

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version	Search this Thread: Advanced Search

04-19-2005, 04:15 PM	#12
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	Zeichman, while you read the gospel of Luke ensignto JesusMysteries and read Doherty's arguements of the dating and redaction of the gospel.

04-19-2005, 04:32 PM	#13
Zeichman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Posts: 562	would you perhaps have a link to that?

04-19-2005, 04:57 PM	#14
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	I think CW is referring to the JesusMysteries list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JesusMysteries You need to join the list to read the messages. You can get to Doherty's website through www.jesuspuzzle.com

04-23-2005, 04:17 PM	#18
Chili Banned Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Alberta Posts: 11,885	How about: a masculine God is a good match for mother earth.

04-23-2005, 04:21 PM	#19
mopc Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: São Paulo, Brazil Posts: 1,504	Not only tradition, but sexism.

Freethought & Rationalism Archive

The archives are read only.