Why a male supreme God?

[Saint Frankenstein]

God created man in His image. I would rather serve a masculine God anyway. Even though I am a woman, I prefer a masculine God. A feminine god is repulsive.

Repulsive? That's rather strong language. Why?

Jesus is my Husband.

Are you lonely?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I see Jehovah as both masculine and feminine. But masculine is his most dominant quality. Thats why he is refereed to as a 'he' and not a 'she'
Feminine is not merely about giving birth. Feminine is submissive and God does not express himself in submissive way (unlike Jesus who does express himself as being in submission for example)....he is one who takes the lead in action and in directing others because he is first and foremost, masculine.

I don't view femininity as submissive. That's a sexist dichotomy.

 

[Deidre]

Yes that's what its all about, its what it means to you personally, and we all should have a personal relationship with God, whatever god means to you, not what second hand books tell you, that is my way of seeing God.

Unfortunately, many feel that same way...and look at the state of our world. There's a lot of oppression of women caused by people just following what 'god means to them personally.' Too bad it doesn't remain personal, and it has created wars, and perpetuated violence.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Whats the alternative? To have other people decide what God means to us?

Unfortunately, many feel that same way...and look at the state of our world. There's a lot of oppression of women caused by people just following what 'god means to them personally.' Too bad it doesn't remain personal, and it has created wars, and perpetuated violence.

 

[Smart_Guy]

I don't see why not. I mean, if it was a goddess, the same question would still be asked.

As for Islam, it is simply because the Quran says "He" in reference to God.

But a god is different than humans. Maybe a god in nature does not have a gender? Dunno.

 

[psychoslice]

Unfortunately, many feel that same way...and look at the state of our world. There's a lot of oppression of women caused by people just following what 'god means to them personally.' Too bad it doesn't remain personal, and it has created wars, and perpetuated violence.

Yes whatever God means to you, that is the outcome.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

To those who worship a male supreme deity - why? What leads you to conclude that the Supreme Being is male or otherwise masculine? How do you arrive at the idea that the Creator is male? I don't see this in nature. It is the female who brings forth life in nature. The male's contribution is somewhat of an afterthought. Even fetuses start out female and only develop into males when the Y chromosome is introduced. The Bible, for instance, has this backward and has the woman being born from the male, as an afterthought when Adam couldn't find a suitable companion among the animals. How does this make any sense?

Is it only because your holy book presents your deity in masculine terms? Or did you come to this conclusion by yourself? Male supreme deities seem to be rather late in humanity's religious history, after all.

It is a very interesting question. The biological definition (distinction), is that the male has the smaller gamete (sperm) and the female has the larger gamete (egg). This is how male/female flowers, fishes, and mammals are distinguished. In many species sex changes during the life time. Not just plants, such as mulberry trees that produced only male flowers for 30 years suddenly producing female flowers and fruit, but even fishes and amphibians that may spend decades as females, and when a dominant male disappears the largest female suddenly begins producing sperm and behaving aggressively.

I suspect the answer lies in the relationship between harmones (testosterone) and gonades (testicles) in the modern human.

 

[Bunyip]

The neo-pagan traditions seem to reflect a return to the matriarchal Goddess. Wicca for example. People seem attracted to the idea of an earth mother and it resonated very strongly with the hippies in the sixties and alternative groups to this day. A counter culture in which the left wing is associated with the mother goddess and the right with the father God.
Looking down to the earth as mother and looking up to the sky father seem to result in very different approaches to ethics and values.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

The neo-pagan traditions seem to reflect a return to the matriarchal Goddess. Wicca for example. People seem attracted to the idea of an earth mother and it resonated very strongly with the hippies in the sixties and alternative groups to this day. A counter culture in which the left wing is associated with the mother goddess and the right with the father God.
Looking down to the earth as mother and looking up to the sky father seem to result in very different approaches to ethics and values.

In biological terms female has a much larger investment in offspring.

 

[Bunyip]

In biological terms female has a much larger investment in offspring.

Sure, it gives a very different focus than a male oriented theology.

 

[Pegg]

I don't view femininity as submissive. That's a sexist dichotomy.

its more sexist to view femininity as a procreator. There is a lot more to being feminine then bearing the children. Some women will never have a child... are they not feminine?

 

[Pegg]

That kind of goes into women and feminism. Why are women seen as submissive? I never had a relationship or any type of ship to where I felt submissive to a male. Women can be just as authoritative as men. So, seeing God as female wouldn't be far off if one sees female as authority (as in some countries do see women as head of household even though the male supports everyone financially).

of course women can be authoritive, but by nature, when she was created, Eve was made as helper to the man. To be a helper requires one to be willing to be directed and women have a terrific natural ability for working under direction. Femininity is willing, supportive, empathetic, compassionate....all qualities which lead to a submissive nature rather ready to expend oneself for the benefit of others.

there is nothing wrong or weak about femininity... and submissiveness is not a dirty word. I would hate to think of what the world would be like if we were all masculine.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

there is nothing wrong or weak about femininity... and submissiveness is not a dirty word. I would hate to think of what the world would be like if we were all masculine.

I guess that would be a little unusual. I rather have a balance in a relationship between two people where submissiveness and authority do not just fall on one person alone but on both parties.

Unlike the Bible where balance doesn't exist there's always authoritative person and a sense of polarity that to have equalness between man and female (both sharing authority and submissiveness) is near impossible in biblical days. Men and women should work for each other. That is wrong. Without balance, how can a believer (if they want to, that is) see the nature of human kind without seeing them as male and female, good and bad, up and down, night and day? Similarities work well too.

I never thought of myself in political terms; but, I guess I'd be a finimest on Biblical view of how in that day, they saw women compared to now.

 

[ChristineES]

You know he had early female followers that played a very important role in the beginning of he early movement, for the first hundreds years in the diaspora women played a very important role of heading this aspect of the household for the gatherings in Pater Familias.

It was later hidden in religious dogma.


But Jesus was a man, no getting around that one, no matter how many women were involved, they followed Jesus the man and Christ.

Angelous is really sharp on all this .

So? I don't see a problem with Jesus being a man. That's what it all boils down to. Everything else I said was just a "for instance" (why he wouldn't have been accepted as a female in those days, really no bearing on the conversation, if you think about it). Even if Jesus was born in this day and age, there is a good chance that he'd still be a man.
Jesus had female followers back then, some of them are listed by name. He spoke to women, like the Samaritan at the well. There were female Prophets in the Tanakh (aka the OT). Edited to add: I still God as having no gender, just Jesus.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

its more sexist to view femininity as a procreator. There is a lot more to being feminine then bearing the children. Some women will never have a child... are they not feminine?

The feminine is multidimensional, as is the masculine. Both women and men aren't just one thing. Women can be warriors and men can be nurturers. The male contains the female and the female, the male. You can just look at nature to understand that truth.

 

[Kirran]

@Pegg, I think it's more that the feminine has the capacity for procreation, than is defined by it.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

of course women can be authoritive, but by nature, when she was created, Eve was made as helper to the man. To be a helper requires one to be willing to be directed and women have a terrific natural ability for working under direction. Femininity is willing, supportive, empathetic, compassionate....all qualities which lead to a submissive nature rather ready to expend oneself for the benefit of others.

there is nothing wrong or weak about femininity... and submissiveness is not a dirty word. I would hate to think of what the world would be like if we were all masculine.

More sexist tripe.

 

[Pegg]

I guess that would be a little unusual. I rather have a balance in a relationship between two people where submissiveness and authority do not just fall on one person alone but on both parties.

Unlike the Bible where balance doesn't exist there's always authoritative person and a sense of polarity that to have equalness between man and female (both sharing authority and submissiveness) is near impossible in biblical days. Men and women should work for each other. That is wrong. Without balance, how can a believer (if they want to, that is) see the nature of human kind without seeing them as male and female, good and bad, up and down, night and day? Similarities work well too.

I never thought of myself in political terms; but, I guess I'd be a finimest on Biblical view of how in that day, they saw women compared to now.

we live in a world where men and women are not living as they were designed.

When God created Adam and Eve, he created Adam first and gave him full responsiblity for oversight of the Garden of Eden. Afterward he created Eve to be a helper for him. So she was not given full responsibility over the garden and over her husband. But she was made to be capable to assist him and when we consider the events in Eden, we can even see that she could work autonomously for when Satan approached her, she was alone at the time and doing something independently. So the womans role was certainly not a helpless one.

It was after they were removed from Eden that the roles of men and women became unbalanced. Adam became overly dominant, Eve became overly sensitive.

If men and women fill the roles they were assigned correctly, then the relationship works perfectly....and the bible explains how each can fit into such a role. When applied correctly, it works. But you have to remember that mankind went astray for a very long time and the cultures and customs which we despise today were brought about by imperfect people, not God.

 

[Pegg]

More sexist tripe.

Oh, and your 'lovely' image of a female is not sexist??? Hmmm interesting.

Why is she naked?? Any ideas on that???

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Oh, and your 'lovely' image of a female is not sexist??? Hmmm interesting.

How exactly is it sexist?

Why is she naked?? Any ideas on that???

What's wrong with nudity? Anyway:

"In many instances she is described as garbed in space or sky clad. In her absolute, primordial nakedness she is free from all covering of illusion. She is Nature (Prakriti in Sanskrit), stripped of 'clothes'. It symbolizes that she is completely beyond name and form, completely beyond the illusory effects of maya (false consciousness). Her nudity is said to represent totally illumined consciousness, unaffected by maya. Kali is the bright fire of truth, which cannot be hidden by the clothes of ignorance. Such truth simply burns them away."
Mother Goddess as Kali - The Feminine Force in Indian Art