TiredJim

Okay, tell me if this makes sense. When talking about Jud/Christian/Muslim/other religions with one God, the God is neither male nor female. Why? Each gender only has meaning when in relation to its opposite. If there is only God, then there is no opposite gender to it "species," and therefore has no gender. It is asexual.

Am I right?

Of course, I suppose this can all be ignored since God would have no reason for form anyway. It doesn't need eyes, because they involve limited sight, and it is all seeing. Doesn't need a stomach, because it doesn't need to eat. Etc..

Actually, I suppose God wouldn't be composed of matter at all, since that gives it physical properties of our universe, and therefore limits it to the laws of our universe.

Of course, I think God is hogwash anyway, so perhaps trying to reason it out is kind of silly.

Just musings prompted by some girl proclaiming that God has to be female. Give some opinions if you care to. No big deal.

conkermaniac

They refer to God in the bible as "He", so I guess that God must be a "he". The people back then were sexist anyway.

Theli

I've never understood the point with this question... "Is god a he?"
Soon we'll be asking "Is god white?" or "Is god a democrat?".
"Is god pro-choice?"
"I don't want to pray to a god that is not a spit image of myself."

I've heard this crap before when people argue over wich skincolor Jesus had, noone wants to pray to a saviour that has the wrong skincolor. Idiots! :banghead:
Anyway... sorry for barking at you like that, it's just that it's a dumb question. And I don't like dumb questions.
I'm guessing the people who first invented god didn't have very good knowledge of nature and speices.
And if god were neither male or female would we refer to god as "it"?

Jobar

Hello, TiredJim; like others here, I think that the male gender for God is an artifact of the ancient Middle Eastern culture(s) that spawned the basic idea of monotheism.

I am going to put your topic in our General Religious Discussions forum; EoG is about god's existence or nonexistence, not his/her/its sexuality!

haverbob

All of what you said is totally on the money. How could someoone with any common sense argue with that? Only one small addition.

I think you would agree that God couldn't be hogwash either. So from what angle are you making this judgement?

emotional

God is a "He" because "He" sounds right. "She" is [neo]pagan, and "It" is an impersonal object.

conkermaniac

Sexuality? Holy cow! God might be gay or lesbian. Ever thought about that, you fundies?

Rational BAC

I don't think the fact that God is referred to as masculine in the Bible has anything to do with gender.

It was common until just very recent history to use "he" to denote either gender when that gender was unknown or considered unimportant.

We have gotten so used to saying "he/she" just to be politically correct today that many of us have forgotten the old way---which did make sense and just about everyone understood. --------that when you said "he" it could be either gender.

The other choice --"it"---meaning something inanimate--doesn't work at all.---either for humans, animals or for a Supreme Being.

emotional

Also this fact: the Hebrew language doesn't have a pronoun corresponding to "it". It has hu for "he" and hi for "she" (Arabic is much the same: huwa/hiya, but no "it"-form).



Yes, the use of "he/she" is very tiresome. It is often avoided by various ways, such as "everyone thinks they know the answers" and "one must be patient". I usually use "he" for either gender much as I do in my native language (Hebrew).



Referring to God as "it" makes the image of Him seem as totally unworthy of any consideration. "It is our Father"? "It is All-Holy"? That doesn't sound right at all. Only a "He" can be our All-Holy Father ("She" can be too, our All-Holy Mother, but "She" for a god is pagan).

wildernesse

I think this is an interesting opinion. I have, often in the past, used It when I am talking about God--because I think it is ridiculous for gender to be given to a non-biological entity. "It is all-holy" sounds fine to me. She, for that matter, doesn't make me think of pagan gods.

It is our Father--well, I don't think "He" *is* our father, in that my father is a human. I think "He" treats us like "He" is a good father, but "He" is not my actual father, so I probably wouldn't say "He" is my father--unless I said "He" is my father in heaven, etc.

--tibac