Is God Male or Female?

[MIDWESTDIVA]

Does God even have a gender?

I saw this discussed elsewhere on the net. And since we've been discussing spiritual matters, I thought this might be interesting. What do you all think?

------------------
"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching." (Satchel Paige)

[This message has been edited by MIDWESTDIVA (edited December 09, 2000).]

[straightBOS]

Does it really matter? I had asked myself that same question a long time ago, and I had come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter.
The only thing in this life I fear is GOD, so the last thing I need to do is question who, or what HE/SHe is.
If I wasn't a devout Christian I might take some time to ponder the idea, the same whay I ponder the doctrine of Islam and Buddhism, but I guess the topic is wayyyyy to touchy for me.

Basically, I think that the answer will be revealed to me when it is my time to know.

[EspeRHO]

StraightBOS I agree with you totally. Some things are meant to be questions and others are meant to be left alone.

[MIDWESTDIVA]

I don't believe that God has a gender. There is no reason for Him/Her/It to reproduce.

------------------
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." ~Harry S. Truman~

[Lady_Tenor]

God is male. If He weren't He wouldn't be referred to in the Bible with only male pronouns. We also would not call Him our Father. A father is a male.

For example:

"For God so loved the world that HE gave HIS only Begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

"Our FATHER, who art in heaven..."

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the FATHER but by Me."

"On the sixth day God created man in HIS own image..."

By the way...if by some far stretch of the imagination, I was wrong and God was female, I personally would not care. His Son died for me regardless!!!

[NinjaPoodle]

God is female and has a great sense of humor

[Senusret I]

God is a shim..... shim shimminy.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Lady_Tenor

God is male. If He weren't He wouldn't be referred to in the Bible with only male pronouns. We also would not call Him our Father. A father is a male.

Pretty selective reading there. Yes, "he" and "father" are used, because we really don't have any other words that work and we have to use the language we have. (Those in a Hebrew culture never would have used "mother" -- it carried too much baggage from the fertility religions of nearby cultures.) And the "Him" in "whosoever believeth in him" refers to Jesus, not to the first person of the Trinity.

Of course, in many languages where nouns have gender (including, I think, Hebrew and Greek) it's not so simple -- in some languages, God's spirit is a "she."

God is neither male nor female. Male and female are biological traits, and God, so far as the Bible records, has no body.

Yet, God is both male and female, or at least exhibits traits and characteristics that we ascribe to maleness and femaleness. For example, look at your example:

"On the sixth day God created man in HIS own image..."

Interesting how you didn't continue that quote -- "male and female created he them," with the implication that males reflect some aspects of God while females reflect other aspects. Kind of a Hebraic yin-yang.

[IncontRHOllable]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Pretty selective reading there. Yes, "he" and "father" are used, because we really don't have any other words that work and we have to use the language we have. (Those in a Hebrew culture never would have used "mother" -- it carried too much baggage from the fertility religions of nearby cultures.) And the "Him" in "whosoever believeth in him" refers to Jesus, not to the first person of the Trinity.

Of course, in many languages where nouns have gender (including, I think, Hebrew and Greek) it's not so simple -- in some languages, God's spirit is a "she."

God is neither male nor female. Male and female are biological traits, and God, so far as the Bible records, has no body.

Yet, God is both male and female, or at least exhibits traits and characteristics that we ascribe to maleness and femaleness. For example, look at your example:

Interesting how you didn't continue that quote -- "male and female created he them," with the implication that males reflect some aspects of God while females reflect other aspects. Kind of a Hebraic yin-yang.

Great answer. I agree. He is neither gender, yet he has the characteristics of both genders. I personally don't think it should matter although I think to some men, it does matter.