I was raised catholic too that's how I remember seeing the female version of the gnostic jesus in the stained glass windows of one of their churches. I thought it was an angel and I forgot about it until the other day when I was looking at the sphia of jesus in the nag hamond library of gnostic books online and I saw that picture. I don't know that they borowed the concept but that is the same picture that was in the church.
She never incarnated
Originally posted by ckingThe gnostics didn;t necessarily think she incarnated but allowed for the possibility. They just said it's not in the scripture that she incarnated., she was supposed to be the holy spirit that came uoon him whrn he was baptized. Jesus probably looked similar to the jews of his day. Not white,not black but like a jew.
Jesus looked Jewish, not white or any other ethnic group. if not the Jews wouldn't speak to him because they don't like gentiles.
If you believe in the trinity, the only way it would make sense is if you considered the Holy Ghost to be a Goddess, other wose it doesn't make senSE, http://www.spiritbride.com/page4-spbr.html
Mary is not the mother of jesus in that she had anything to do with his being conceived, she is just the earthly vessel that was used.
Him or Her?
She or He? Why must GOD be regered to in these restrictive terms?
Does it bother anyone that when peole refer to God they sometimes, if not often, refer to this absrtract entity as he or him? Is God a man or does it exhibit "manly" qualities?"
I'm not particulartly concerned how people feel about God being refered to as a woman, mainly because I don't often heat anyone label GOD as being female or exhibiting femine qualities. But if you'd like to comment on that specific opic please feel free to.
Truthfully, and hopefully objectively, speaking I find it very irritating to hear people refer to God as anything resembling a human being much less a gender of that species.I would think that to understand what GOD (the thing that jump started the creation of our universe and the evolutionary, geologic, astrologic and mathematic processes that shape it) is we should start by not picturing God as some old guy with a flwing white beard. Furthermore, it could be helpful if many members of organized faith based institutions stopped being so GOD damned unwaveringly mentally predisposed to idiocy.
Originally posted by meep-meepIMO the sun is god. Without the sun we'd be dead.
She or He? Why must GOD be regered to in these restrictive terms?Does it bother anyone that when peole refer to God they sometimes, if not often, refer to this absrtract entity as he or him? Is God a man or does it exhibit "manly" qualities?"
I'm not particulartly concerned how people feel about God being refered to as a woman, mainly because I don't often heat anyone label GOD as being female or exhibiting femine qualities. But if you'd like to comment on that specific opic please feel free to.
Truthfully, and hopefully objectively, speaking I find it very irritating to hear people refer to God as anything resembling a human being much less a gender of that species.I would think that to understand what GOD (the thing that jump started the creation of our universe and the evolutionary, geologic, astrologic and mathematic processes that shape it) is we should start by not picturing God as some old guy with a flwing white beard. Furthermore, it could be helpful if many members of organized faith based institutions stopped being so GOD damned unwaveringly mentally predisposed to idiocy.
God is often anthropomorphized for 2 reasons...
1. Picking one pronoun and using it consistently is technically more convenient/less awkward than writing/saying He/She/It. The male pronoun is commonly used out of historical convention.
2. It personalizes God, making "Him" easier to grasp than a formless, abstract entity. This makes it easier for the masses to find comfort in God in times of loss and suffering. It's one of the reasons Christianity, for example, spread the way it did: God became tangible.
Problems arise when the metaphor is reified.
Re: Him or Her?
Originally posted by meep-meep
She or He? Why must GOD be regered to in these restrictive terms?Does it bother anyone that when peole refer to God they sometimes, if not often, refer to this absrtract entity as he or him? Is God a man or does it exhibit "manly" qualities?"
I'm not particulartly concerned how people feel about God being refered to as a woman, mainly because I don't often heat anyone label GOD as being female or exhibiting femine qualities. But if you'd like to comment on that specific opic please feel free to.
Truthfully, and hopefully objectively, speaking I find it very irritating to hear people refer to God as anything resembling a human being much less a gender of that species.I would think that to understand what GOD (the thing that jump started the creation of our universe and the evolutionary, geologic, astrologic and mathematic processes that shape it) is we should start by not picturing God as some old guy with a flwing white beard. Furthermore, it could be helpful if many members of organized faith based institutions stopped being so GOD damned unwaveringly mentally predisposed to idiocy.
I also find it irritating when people referee to God as he. I feel if someone is saying "he", then that person is talking about a man made god like Zeus.
Why not? Many people act as though God is male rather than female or genderless, but theologians often argue that God is genderless. English has the option of using “it” instead of male pronouns.
One could argue that continued references to God as male are simply part of a larger situation in which religion serves to perpetuate stereotypes about and discrimination against women.
Originally posted by Storm
Why not? Many people act as though God is male rather than female or genderless, but theologians often argue that God is genderless. English has the option of using “it” instead of male pronouns.One could argue that continued references to God as male are simply part of a larger situation in which religion serves to perpetuate stereotypes about and discrimination against women.
IMO I think it's both, having feminine and masculine energies.
Originally posted by Storm
Why not? Many people act as though God is male rather than female or genderless, but theologians often argue that God is genderless. English has the option of using “it” instead of male pronouns.
If you want to refer to God in the same way you would refer to an end-table or stray dog, I suppose you could call him(?) "it," but that doesn't seem very respectful.
Originally posted by Gregory
If you're worried about God's sex, you're probably a theist, and therefore want to be respectful of god.Even if you're an atheist, that's no reason to go through life picking fights.
IMO, giving GOD a gender is an atempt to humanize god so it can fit human standards in it's highest incarnation GOD is a concept.
Originally posted by Gregory
If you're worried about God's sex, you're probably a theist, and therefore want to be respectful of god.Even if you're an atheist, that's no reason to go through life picking fights.
I basically agree with you, however, I don't think it is possible to be disrespectful to God.