Mazer9

Why would God create women for man? If man was truly made in his image, why would we desire or need a woman. I will assume that God has no mate (I never read or have come across any writings that would give me the impression that God has a female, or equivalent, counterpart). It seems to me that the introduction of women have only complicated issues and made man more prone to sin: lust, jealousy, temptation, ie. the eating of the forbidden fruit, etc.

I guess one would say that man needed women for reproduction and to fend off lonliness, but I'm sure God could have taken care of both issues without the need of woman. I don't know if I have read of anyone on this board bringing up this issue. I think we have just taken the woman thing for granted. Please let me know what you think about this topic.

Jobar

An excellent question! I would like to know what Amos thinks of this- he has often talked about the difference between 'humanity' and 'womanity'. Is woman also made in the image of God? And if not, just how exactly is it that women have souls?

The whole issue of sex is one of the many weaknesses of creationism- will some of our Christian members respond to this?

Theli

And... wich is related to the dumbest question of them all, that some people actually argue about, is god a 'he' or a 'she'?

Bible Humper

/evilmode_on

<a href="http://iidb.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=45&t=001457" target="_blank">Why was Yahweh single?</a>

Sabine Grant

Bonjour Mazer9!

Indeed a very interesting question. Since the story comes from the so contested Bible, I went ahead and tried to find verses which could explain how God went about creating mankind ( that is both male and female).

I do not want to pertain to justify God's intent and his thought process but to find clarification how it all happened according to the Bible.

Genesis1: 26 indicates God's decision to make man in His Image and " let them have dominion...."I interpret the plural form of the pronoun " them" as designating mankind rather than one single man.
27: the verse indicates creation of both genders (male and female). However that indication comes after the indication that He created man in His own image first..." in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

Then Genesis resumes in the second chapter from verse 7 to 22 into describing in details how He created man then woman.
Verse 7 : we find out that God used the dust from the ground to form a man. He then breathed in his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. Until then man had no soul. No spirit.No cognition.( however one wishes to define the "soul" or "spirit").
In verses 16 and 17, God gives His First Commandment to the man He created. The woman did not recieve the Commandment. She was still non existant.He both sets the rule of not eating the forbidden fruit and establishes the consequences directly to man not woman.
Verse 18 : We discover that God's observation is that " it is not good for man to be alone"." I will make him an help meet for him". Taken back in the context, I would assume that the help was needed for man to have dominion over all the things and responsibilities God gave him previously.( verse 15).
Verse 21: God literaly anesthesizes Adam and takes one of his ribs to form the first woman. He closes up the flesh thereof. Then He brought her onto man.

Here is how I interpret the story of the creation of both man and woman.

God's vision was to create mankind. Not just one being on his own. He intended for them to create and multiply.

God's Image... the big mystery... since God is defined as a Spirit by the same Bible. What could be the image of a Spirit? I interpret it as solved thru verse 7 in the key phrase " man became a living soul". Thru the breath of God. Might the image of God be the soul, spirit or cognition? not physical traits... spiritual traits. Intellectual. However ones want to define the make up of the human brain and its extraordinary abilities.
Did Eve know she was sinning? I have to assume that Adam gave her a deep brief about the forbidden fruit as I examine her responses to the serpent in chapter 3. That would be the logical explanation.However, I could also venture to theorize that Eve had recieved any knowledge Adam had thru his DNA print...same cognition.( It is interesting that cloning involves borrowing DNA from one person to create another).
Obviously Eve is to bear the responsibility of choosing the forbidden fruit over God's commandment. However, Adam did have the option to tell her " go pack sand I am not going against the Old Man". So I do not consider Eve to be the carrier of sin... Adam was not decieved. He made a conscious choice as she handed him the fruit. Adam was probably in serious love and willing to do anything to please Eve.
Who knows... maybe the thought crossed his mind that being stuck with his helpmate, he'd rather go along with her wishes ( does not that sound familiar to many men today? heheheheh).

I will conclude and based on my personal interpretation ( not on any denominational pre digested and interpreted version of the text ) that :

God did not need any help to accomplish His Creation. However, He observed that man needed a helpmate to have dominion on the rest of His Creation. That is why He created woman.

He used whatever genetical process ( close to cloning)to create woman from the genes of man.

He gave man his own soul to make him a living being. He transfered His Spirit image thru that soul.( a paralell can be drawn with the New Testament as Christ breathed the Holy Spirit onto His Disciples ). In other words, man becomes alive only as God gives him life thru His Spirit.

As far as Eve and Adam's accountability for sin : if I were to " prosecute" any of them I would give Adam more the benefit of the doubt and explore the possibility that his emotions for his helpmate led him to not say " no way jose". Whereas, Eve was tempted and decieved by the thought that she could also be like God as the serpent explained it to her.

So basicaly what we have here is a man who entrusted his wife more than His God.Then when confronted, they both point a finger to someone else " she told me to do it "... " the serpent told me to do it". Interesting how the same scenario applies today... " the devil made me do it". " my wife told me it is ok" etc etc etc

For info I am a woman and I have no problem recognizing that we can influence a man to be a better version of himself or be a worse one.

Yes God could have made man bisexual and not need her to procreate and multiply. But it appears to me that woman was created to help man have dominion over creation. Maybe God has a practical and realistic vision of the task at hand?

Oxymoron

I used to love it when the Jehovah's Witnesses came a-calling. I would invite them in, let them yap a while, then draw the conversation around to God's gender.

Me:"So God is a 'he' then?"
JW:"Oh yes, it clearly says so in (blah)"
Me:"Ah, so he has a penis then?"
JW:"Excuse me?"
Me:"External genitalia. He is a man isn't he? I mean I was made in his image, wasn't I?"
JW(reddening):"Er..."
Me:"And he has testicles, too I suppose"
JW(very red):"Um..."
Me:"Is was just puzzled by why, I mean is there a Mrs God that he uses it with?"
JW(beetroot):"God is a supreme being not a human and has no need for such fleshly trappings"
Me:"So the concept of 'male' doesn't apply then? Why don't you refer to God as 'It'?"
JW(packing stuff up):"Ur...is that the time?"

Mageth

Yes God could have made man bisexual and not need her to procreate and multiply.

Umm...I believe that would be asexual.

Sabine Grant

Thank you for the correction... is it the same as hermaphroditic ? I am learning new words in English almost every day.( French is my native language).

Jobar

Sabine, 'bisexual' is a synonym for hermaphrodite; it also means 'having two sexes' (humans are a bisexual species); and also again, it means 'sexual attraction to both genders' (Madonna is bisexual.)

'Asexual' means no sex; a life form which reproduces by budding or mitosis (or in the case of God, doesn't reproduce at all!)

You know, I've always been struck by the topsy-turvy way in which Eve was born- from the body of a man. I'm not really familiar with feminist philosophy, but I bet there are whole books concerning the deep masculine insecurity and fear which is shown by the tale of Adam & Eve.

More to the topic- Oxymoron's humorous prodding at evangelical pests speaks precisely to the question here, I think. If Jehovah is masculine, then women are not created in God's image! I'm sure this is a well known Biblical contradiction, but it's not one I have seen discussed here.

hinduwoman

Mary can be regarded as God's mate, though of course it is very confusing why he needed human ova at all to have a child.