Why is god identified as a "he"???

[JayHawes]

In the Hebrew, it says that God created "Adam." Adam was not a boy's name. It was a word, meaning 'made of dust.' ie - God created a living being out of dust. Male scholars have chosen to translate "Adam" as "man" but it could be more correctly translated as "human."

Men wrote the original words in Hebrew, with a male bias.
Men translated the words from Hebrew to English, with a male bias.
And then men think that they can point to this translation and say "See, this proves God is male."

[SIZE=+1]~da [/SIZE]'adam (aw-dawm'); Noun Masculine, Strong #: 120

1. man, mankind
   1. man, human being
   2. man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
   3. Adam, first man
   4. city in Jordan valley

It matters not whether God is male or female, he is not human that he has a gender. God is a spirit, not flesh. He is just a pronoun to refer to whom we call God. Don't come with all the feminist stuff, trying to make God a she, or eliminate the word He.

It's sad the some who don't even believe in God would fuss as to whether or not God should be a called a he. God is not a male, he's not even human.

Nu 23:19 "God is not a man..."

 

[lilithu]

Ugly, if you ask me.

Didn't.

I could worship I God that looks like this though:

So basically, you could worship your own sense of beauty?

 

[lilithu]

It's sad the some who don't even believe in God would fuss as to whether or not God should be a called a he.

And to whom would you be referring? :sarcastic

 

[JayHawes]

Genesis 1:27 (King James Version)
So God created man[Humans] in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 5:1-2 (King James Version)
In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Genesis 5:3 (King James)
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:

From reading this it is clear to me that God truly did create man after his literal image and likeness in the Book of Genesis. It is hard to tell if God is male or androgynous, however.

God is a spirit. When the Bible says we were created in his image it could be referring to more than two things, but I will list two

1) We were created in the Image of the Voice of God.

2) We were created in the image of God's Spiritual nature

 

[JayHawes]

And to whom would you be referring? :sarcastic

I am referring to anyone who fits the description given. Not anyone in paticular though.

 

[lilithu]

No, I'm not sure. But then, if the human Adam was made in YHWH's image, wouldn't that follow that YHWH was male?

1. So if I drew a picture of myself in my own image and the picture is made out of paper and crayon, does that mean that I am made out of paper and crayon too?

2. What makes you think that Adam was "male" at the time when Adam was first created? What does it mean to be "male" if there is no corresponding "female"?

 

[Inky]

In the Hebrew, it says that God created "Adam." Adam was not a boy's name. It was a word, meaning 'made of dust.' ie - God created a living being out of dust. Male scholars have chosen to translate "Adam" as "man" but it could be more correctly translated as "human."

Men wrote the original words in Hebrew, with a male bias.
Men translated the words from Hebrew to English, with a male bias.
And then men think that they can point to this translation and say "See, this proves God is male."

Yep. Most places in the OT where we see the word "man" used to mean a group would be better translated as "humankind".

I never got why people try to plug gender into the "own image" thing. If Adam was a tall brown-haired man with a beard and freckles, does that mean God is a tall brown-haired man with a beard and freckles? And as a result people with no freckles are not "made in God's image"? Of course not.

Asking whether God is male or female is like asking whether God is a mammal or a reptile. We have gender because we are physically animals, and animals have gender. God is not an animal, so it doesn't.

Also let's remember this is General Religious Debates, so let's make thread-room for things besides the Bible.

 

[lilithu]

I do not view women as inferior to man, i do not view men as being better than women. I treat women as the most precious gift God ever gave, they are the beauty of heaven, they are lovely and must be treated as Queens.

Precious gift? As in an object?? Like some fragile porcelain doll to be so "cherished" that it's locked in a case? Gift, my arse.

 

[Quiddity]

Precious gift? As in an object?? Like some fragile porcelain doll to be so "cherished" that it's locked in a case? Gift, my arse.

C'mon Lil, you know as much as I do that many conservative Christians don't see it like that. Or maybe you don't?

 

[JayHawes]

Precious gift? As in an object?? Like some fragile porcelain doll to be so "cherished" that it's locked in a case? Gift, my arse.

Those are your words, not mines. (the above)

My wife will belong to me, and I will belong to my wife, we will both belong to each other.

Women are more precious than any material possesion, so is the husband to a wife.
Pr 31:10Who may make discovery of a woman of virtue? For her price is much higher than jewels.

 

[Sunstone]

I do not view women as inferior to man, i do not view men as being better than women. I treat women as the most precious gift God ever gave, they are the beauty of heaven, they are lovely and must be treated as Queens.

What about just treating women as people --- and then treating all people as well as you can?

 

[lilithu]

C'mon Lil, you know as much as I do that many conservative Christians do see like that. Or maybe you don't?

Hi Victor, namaste. I know that many people still view women as objects. But it's still surprising to me that someone could actually not see how this is demeaning to women. A "precious" object is still an object.

 

[Quiddity]

What about just treating women as people --- and then treating all people as well as you can?

Or how about just treating both men and women like people?

Truth is, that we all treat people differently depending on how close they are to us.

 

[Katzpur]

It's not fair really, half the world is female so that sort of means there is a male god who made females for male entertainment, i think we need to get rid of the he and start saying "it" For no-one knows the gender of god, no mattter what any scripture says.:shout *IT*

You have got the strangest ideas of anyone I've ever run into. God is male; He is our Father in Heaven, and no matter what you say, it is quite impossible for a female deity to be a Father.

 

[Quiddity]

Hi Victor, namaste. I know that many people still view women as objects. But it's still surprising to me that someone could actually not see how this is demeaning to women. A "precious" object is still an object.

I agree with you, I'm just not convinced JayHawes is one of them. Maybe that's just me.

 

[kadzbiz]

In the Hebrew, it says that God created "Adam." Adam was not a boy's name. It was a word, meaning 'made of dust.' ie - God created a living being out of dust. Male scholars have chosen to translate "Adam" as "man" but it could be more correctly translated as "human."....

Interesting view point.

1. So if I drew a picture of myself in my own image and the picture is made out of paper and crayon, does that mean that I am made out of paper and crayon too? 2. What makes you think that Adam was "male" at the time when Adam was first created? What does it mean to be "male" if there is no corresponding "female"?

1. Yes, you would be made of paper and crayon too. Hee hee. Anyway, God didn't draw Adam, He created a living creature of flesh and blood.

2. So you're saying that Adam was androgenous or without sexual organs? So after Adam had his rib taken from him, he then noticed his appendage hanging between his legs too?

(Talk like this is why I find the whole Bible hard to swallow)

You have got the strangest ideas of anyone I've ever run into. God is male; He is our Father in Heaven, and no matter what you say, it is quite impossible for a female deity to be a Father.

A deity could do or be whatever IT wanted.

 

[lillitruthseeker]

the misogyny is quite fierce -- god is only a man because men made him up

 

[JayHawes]

What about just treating women as people --- and then treating all people as well as you can?

I do.

 

[lilithu]

Anyway, God didn't draw Adam, He created a living creature of flesh and blood.

Actually, God made flesh and blood out of dust.

2. So you're saying that Adam was androgenous or without sexual organs? So after Adam had his rib taken from him, he then noticed his appendage hanging between his legs too?

I'm saying that whether Adam had anything between the legs or not, it would have served no purpose before Eve, and therefore is irrelevant. Male has no meaning in the absence of female, and vice versa. If every person on earth had the extra appendage, would we bother calling ourselves "male"?

(Talk like this is why I find the whole Bible hard to swallow)

It's called mythos. Symbolism. Allegory. Poetry. What you want is a newspaper report.

 

[kadzbiz]

Actually, God made flesh and blood out of dust.

Does origin matter? Paper was wood once and crayon, well I don't know what crayons are made of. Wax?

I'm saying that whether Adam had anything between the legs or not, it would have served no purpose before Eve, and therefore is irrelevant. Male has no meaning in the absence of female, and vice versa. If every person on earth had the extra appendage, would we bother calling ourselves "male"?

But what did Adam, or the first human, look like? No, scrub that thought ...... seeing how I don't believe in the God of the bible, my argument is irrelevant.

....What you want is a newspaper report.

I don't follow you.