Is God androgynous?

[tomspug]

Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness"

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

SO INTERESTING!

 

[Heartfelt]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

SO INTERESTING!

There are 2 genders of like kind to be able to produce offspring...when in Heaven where we will eventually reside there will be no genders/no one given in marriage...we are spirits/souls inside bodies of dust. It ,(the Bible), says when we marry we become ONE...we are to act as one/agree as one/etc

 

[dawny0826]

There are 2 genders of like kind to be able to produce offspring...when in Heaven where we will eventually reside there will be no genders/no one given in marriage...we are spirits/souls inside bodies of dust. It ,(the Bible), says when we marry we become ONE...we are to act as one/agree as one/etc

I would genuinely like to read scripture which supports this notion. There are several within my family who believe as you do but I have yet to find the scripture which states that we will be genderless in Heaven.

 

[sojourner]

We are created male/female, so that we will come together in relationship. God lives/has God's Being manifest in humanity within our relationships. That's where we reflect God's image. And no reflection is as powerful as the relationship between husband and wife.

I suspect that the fullest expression of humanity is when man and woman join together. Therefore, that's also God's fullest expression w/in humanity.

Body parts aside, I think that we all contain elements of both sexes. If we truly reflect God, then God also embodies both aspects.

 

[matthew.william]

It's hard to imagine any spiritual entity with a gender, but maybe that's just me.

~matthew.william~

 

[doppelganger]

It's hard to imagine any spiritual entity with a gender, but maybe that's just me.

Is it any harder than imagining a spiritual entity with any other attribute?

 

[matthew.william]

Is it any harder than imagining a spiritual entity with any other attribute?

No, I would find it just as difficult to imagine a spiritual entity with eyes, toes, a moustache, or any other physical attributes a human could have.

~matthew.william~

 

[Shadow Wolf]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

Because we were made in "their" image.

 

[3.14]

that depends, do clouds have genitals?

 

[Inky]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders?

We have genders because we're animals, and animals have genders because it's better for gene distribution than asexual reproduction.

Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God?

I've met a few people who think this, but I never saw the appeal in the idea. Certainly in our current society we idealize marriage as a merging of equals, which would seem to break the metaphor with the God-human relationship. The parent-child relationship seems like it would be a better fit.

Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

In a way. God is probably referred to as 'he' in most Western monotheistic religions because those religions grew from societies that assumed male superiority. (Not that non-Western societies were more egalitarian, but they were less likely to worship male gods.)

 

[Katzpur]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

SO INTERESTING!

First off, I'm surprised that you would even ask the question since I doubt very much you believe He has a physical form at all. To me, the idea that mankind is created in the image of God simply means that we resemble Him in appearance. We have a human form, as I believe He does. Kittens resemble full grown cats and puppies resemble full grown dogs. Each of these species was created to reproduce after their own kind. It doesn't matter whether you're looking at a female kitten or a male kitten. Both are created to be in the image of a cat.

 

[S-word]

There are 2 genders of like kind to be able to produce offspring...when in Heaven where we will eventually reside there will be no genders/no one given in marriage...we are spirits/souls inside bodies of dust. It ,(the Bible), says when we marry we become ONE...we are to act as one/agree as one/etc

You dont have to marry a woman to become one with her, all you have to do is to introduce your semen into her body and her pedigree is compromised, it dosn't matter whether she conceives from that union, any future child sired by any other man to that woman with who you had previously become one, can manifest certain of your charateristics.

 

[tomspug]

First off, I'm surprised that you would even ask the question since I doubt very much you believe He has a physical form at all.

I think the best metaphor used to describe God visually was used by Bill Myers in his Bloodstone Chronicles books. The Imager (God) appears to be everything at once.

So "the image of God" is not necessarily a solitary image. It can contain both the masculine and feminine aspects of humanity, including all that has been revealed about Him and the infinite of everything that has yet to be revealed about Him.

 

[BucephalusBB]

If mankind is in God's image,

I don't know the rest of the scriptures, but does "image" need to be his body?
Without trying to joke here, but "the Fonz" had an image as well. Different kind of image though..

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

I am curious as to how men are supposed to be automatically more dominate?

 

[tomspug]

I am curious as to how men are supposed to be automatically more dominate?

There doesn't seem to be anything automatic about it. It simply appears to be a natural tendency. If you look at history, what do you mainly see? If you look at testosterone and estrogen, what is the difference? It's more like a trend rather than a rule, I would say.

 

[rojse]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

SO INTERESTING!

I think this is interesting too - frubals. There are a lot of creatures that don't need a partner to reproduce, either, so it seems that God was able to do it for them - why (in a theological sense) do we have male and female people?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

There doesn't seem to be anything automatic about it. It simply appears to be a natural tendency. If you look at history, what do you mainly see? If you look at testosterone and estrogen, what is the difference? It's more like a trend rather than a rule, I would say.

Throughout history, there have been plenty of patriarchal as well as matriarchal societies. Even some societies were it didn't matter. Even Egypt had a female Pharaoh at one point in time. Even in some societies were men were head of the government, women still played a very important role in keeping everything tied together.
Testosterone builds muscle faster, and increases the chance of heart disease. Estrogen may not add to the physical strength, but girls generally do better in school.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think this is interesting too - frubals. There are a lot of creatures that don't need a partner to reproduce, either, so it seems that God was able to do it for them - why (in a theological sense) do we have male and female people?

Genetic advantages put aside, God needed to hide a form of worship, so he made women capable of sexual pleasure.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

If mankind is in God's image, then why are their two genders? Is the marriage of two separate genders indicative of the image of God? Is this why God is referred to as 'He', not because he is male, but because the male aspect is simply the more dominating of the two?

SO INTERESTING!

God was not refering to gender when He made man in His likeness. God is a plurality. This is evidenced in the plural noun Elohim in the Hebrew as well as the multiple use of the plural pronoun, "We" when referring to Himself. God always refers to Himself in the masculine so there can be no doubt that the image you refered to cannot be applied to two genders.

Instead God is referencing that He made man as a plurality as well.