Non Credo:

“Saying that referring to God as “Him” doesn’t masculinize God in a reader’s imagination doesn’t make it true. The feminist insight into the matter is that “He” and “Him” inescapably masculinize the referent, whether we wish it so or not.”

You are, of course, correct here.  I’m just not sure that the “answer” to this is re-writing every sacred or faith-based text ever written.  Rather, a clearer “education” about the issue - both faith-based (seminaries, Bible Colleges, etc.) and secular (general) - is in order; a broad-based explanation of WHY the male pronoun has traditionally been used.

Thank you for your explication.

Peace.

My Gawd, nahida!!  You must be in pretty good shape with all that help.

As Non Credo and others have pointed out, the use of the pronoun “he” in addressing “God” (though it has come to be USED inappropriately at times) is based simply on the fact that SOME pronoun has to be used, and the monotheistic religions (and many other faiths and belief systems) were founded by and during patriarchal societies.

In Judaism, “God” is actually represented by a male spirit (usually written as YHWH) and a female spirit, called the Shekinah.  Thus, even within Judaism, “God” is understood to have male and female qualities and attributes.  Indeed, Genesis makes this clear: although the reflexive “his” is used, one could say “God created male and female in God’s image.” And while it is usually assumed that this refers to “spiritual” image (as opposed to physical image), in order to create both genders, God would necessarily have to BE both genders.

Since Christianity is an outgrowth of Judaism, and continues to include the OT in its teachings and beliefs, here, too, God may be REFERRED to (for purposes of simplicity) as “he,” but is understood to be non-gendered.

As nahida points out, this is even more true of Islam, where the very word used to describe the deity is a gender-neutral word - even if, like Judaism and Christianity, the male pronoun is used for purposes of simplicity.

As for the Native Americans, here, again, we have a “dual” spirit: the male is the “Great Spirit” or “Great Father,” the female is (for lack of better phrase) “Mother Nature.” But these two “entities” are seen as equal - either one unable to exist without the other.

Hinduism, of course, has mutiple gods, both male and female, as do most pantheistic belief systems.  And while Buddhism has no gods, it is centered around a male figure (Buddha).  This is true of many other “zero-god” belief systems as well.

Thus, all or most faiths/belief systems have traditionally used the male pronoun based either on the central figure of that system (e.g., Buddha, Jesus) or because use of the male pronoun sprang from the patriarchal societies in and during which those faiths/belief systems were founded.

As one of my college professors once joked, “God is not a white-bearded little old man in a nightshirt writing down your good deeds in a golden book.” In fact, for believers, “God” - no matter what faith or belief system we are talking about - is rarely, if ever, a “man” at all: indeed, if God is beyond time and space, then “he” is certainly beyond gender.

Peace.

BUT THE SPIRITUALITY HAS NO GENDER-COLOR-AGE-you are getting off track-we are NOT TALKING ABOUT A RELIGION-we are talking about THE REPRESENTATION OF
DEITY.....

Last-ditch efforts by the few remaining devote Jews to hold on to a few women. “Misogynists? Oye vay, not us!” Most Jews left the fold long ago; they simply remain members of the club. If you remain in the club it grants you bitching rights for life. One thing the holocaust did was to label the Jewish people as victims forever just so long as we don’t read their holy book. They know what’s in there and that’s why they continue to exodus the temples. They know it’s bull crap. This story rates right up there with the Vatican astronomer.

Why did Moses somewhere in the middle of the story have to bring a list of rules to the Jews? Before that they didn’t consider murder, theft and honesty important? After he brought the rules they still considered owning slaves fine just so long as you don’t steal them from other Jews. It would seem they were “chosen” because they were the people most like their god. Murderous, thieving, jealous, misogynist, dishonest… I could go on all day regarding the atrocities they committed in the name of...... oops..... are we allowed to mention his name? The Torah is written proof of the Jews historical victimizing of other peoples. And even their own people. Aren’t the Jews and Arabs related Biblically? Am I mistaken or did the Jews disown their cousins eventually spawning an opposing cult? Oh sure they have more fictions regarding whether Hagar was Egyptian or Arab. I’d look up the passages but I’ve had my fill of fiction for today. And who really f*cking cares? Even if they weren’t related (and which humans are not related?) they were simply living side-by-side and couldn’t share the wealth then and so the world continues to deal with the Iron Age Hatfields and McCoys. The best part is that there now are about 13 million Hatfields and 1.3 billion McCoys. All because the Hatfields were as pigheadedly tribal then as they remain now. Oops, did I infuse pork into that sentence?

So what’s the big news? Jewish men and women are going to pray in the same room from now on? (Ouch! That might be too reformed.) To..... he...er she....er the “Deity of Unspecified Gender”! Whoooo hoooooo!!! I say let’s flip it over and see if it’s a boy or a girl! If Judaism is crap and it is, so are the other cults it spawned. Oops sorry, I spoiled the ending. The “Deity of Unspecified Gender” will no doubt punish me for that. Oh and for you Muslims, the name is The Non-Existent (Al Beseinyu).

I think that you didn’t read my post Non Credo, therefore, here it is again, I cut and paste:

(please read carefully)

God is Unique, there is absolutely nothing like Him/Her/It

The Arabic word for God is: Allah.

This word is unique in its characteristics; it has no plural, it is neither a feminine nor a masculine (unlike all Arabic nouns). It reflects perfectly the Islamic perception of God, who is not personified in a human form, God the Unique, the One, and the matchless.

When we refer to God with “He” or “His”, it’s not that we perceive God as a male for God has no gender; it’s simply because of Arabic linguistic requirements.

All nouns are referred to either as a male or female in Arabic, there is no neutral, the general rule is that things that come in multiples are depicted in a feminine form (such as eye, ear, hand, foot) and things that we don’t have in pairs we use the masculine to describe ( nose, mouth, chin..)

So, God being One and Unique -non plural-, we use the masculine to refer to Him.

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Creator is in all things-creator JUST IS....has no age-gender-color-size-no agenda-creator JUST IS....
Native Americans THANK THE FOOD for ALLOWING ITSELF TO BE EATEN...THANK THE RAIN for FALLING ON THE EARTH...THANK THE SUN for IT’S GIFTS...and on and on.
Mative American Spirituality is the only RELIGION THAT DOES NOT SAY ANY OTHER RELIGION WAS W-R-O-N-G-…

Non Credo

By all means if that makes you happy, use the language that gratifies you

But no thank you, I decline that kind of thoughtless and distasteful solution

Keep your bigoted solution to those who thrive on intolerance, and find pleasure in insulting others

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continue ------------>

The Safe-guarder (Al-Muhaymin)

The Ever-Forgiving (Al-Ghaffar)

The All-Pardoning (Al-Afuw)

The All-Forbearing (Al-Haleem)

The Most Patient (As-Sabour)

The All-Perfect (As-Subbuh)

The Utterly Pure (Al-Qudus)

The Perfect Peace (As-Salam)

The Pure (At-Tahir)

The Magnificent (Al-Adheem)

The Majestic (Al-Jaleel)

The Most Beautiful (Al-Jameel)

The Most Generous (Al-Kareem)

The First (Al-Awal)

The Last (Al-Akher)

The Outward (Az-Zahir)

The Inward (Al-Batin)

The Trust-worthy (Al-Mu’min)

The Most Faithful (Al-Wafi)

The Just (Al-Adl)

The Equitable (AL-Muqsit)

The Judge (Al-Hakam)

The Ever-Thankful (Ash-Shakour)

The Unique (Al-Waheed)

The Unequalled (Al-Fard)

The Originator with beauty (Al-Badee)

The Creator (Al-Khaliq)

The Ever-Truthful (As-Sadiq)

The Ever-Sure (Al-Mateen)

The Lord of Majesty and Generosity (Dhû’l-Jalâl wa’l-Ikrâm)

The more we live by, and the deeper we acquire of these attributes the more joy and delight our souls could experience and contain, and the more people recognize and appreciate. The more hope for our world to attain peace and justice for all.

Whether we recognize it or not, this engraved undeviating yearning for God is what leads us to pursue every good sublime principal and ideal there is.

It is the real drive behind our desire for perfection and the longing towards pure goodness and excellence. And this is what’s meant by the concept that we are created in the image of God; not as mistakenly understood (in the Judo-Christian tradition) in the physical sense.

That is why whoever strive for, and live by these high morals are much closer to the Most Loving than they can ever imagine even if they deny it; yet those who act evil in the name of religion yet claim to be religious are much further away.

.

The Safe-guarder (Al-Muhaymin)

The Ever-Forgiving (Al-Ghaffar)

The All-Pardoning (Al-Afuw)

The All-Forbearing (Al-Haleem)

The Most Patient (As-Sabour)

The All-Perfect (As-Subbuh)

The Utterly Pure (Al-Qudus)

The Perfect Peace (As-Salam)

The Pure (At-Tahir)

The Magnificent (Al-Adheem)

The Majestic (Al-Jaleel)

The Most Beautiful (Al-Jameel)

The Most Generous (Al-Kareem)

The First (Al-Awal)

The Last (Al-Akher)

The Outward (Az-Zahir)

The Inward (Al-Batin)

The Trust-worthy (Al-Mu’min)

The Most Faithful (Al-Wafi)

The Just (Al-Adl)

The Equitable (AL-Muqsit)

The Judge (Al-Hakam)

The Ever-Thankful (Ash-Shakour)

The Unique (Al-Waheed)

The Unequalled (Al-Fard)

The Originator with beauty (Al-Badee)

The Creator (Al-Khaliq)

The Ever-Truthful (As-Sadiq)

The Ever-Sure (Al-Mateen)

The Lord of Majesty and Generosity (Dhû’l-Jalâl wa’l-Ikrâm)

The more we live by, and the deeper we acquire of these attributes the more joy and delight our souls could experience and contain, and the more people recognize and appreciate. The more hope for our world to attain peace and justice for all.

Whether we recognize it or not, this engraved undeviating yearning for God is what leads us to pursue every good sublime principal and ideal there is.

It is the real drive behind our desire for perfection and the longing towards pure goodness and excellence. And this is what’s meant by the concept that we are created in the image of God; not as mistakenly understood (in the Judo-Christian tradition) in the physical sense.

That is why whoever strive for, and live by these high morals are much closer to the Most Loving than they can ever imagine even if they deny it; yet those who act evil in the name of religion yet claim to be religious are much further away.

.

The concept of a male God is only a Judo-Christian idea

In Islam for example God is NOT a human-like male figure

God is Unique, there is absolutely nothing like Him/Her/It

The Arabic word for God is: Allah.

This word is unique in its characteristics; it has no plural, it is neither a feminine nor a masculine (unlike all Arabic nouns). It reflects perfectly the Islamic perception of God, who is not personified in a human form, God the Unique, the One, and the matchless.

When we refer to God with “He” or “His”, it’s not that we perceive God as a male for God has no gender; it’s simply because of Arabic linguistic requirements.

All nouns are referred to either as a male or female in Arabic, there is no neutral, the general rule is that things that come in multiples are depicted in a feminine form (such as eye, ear, hand, foot) and things that we don’t have in pairs we use the masculine to describe ( nose, mouth, chin

So, God being One and Unique, we use the masculine to refer to Him.

The faith we embrace is that of Love and pure goodness; it is summed up by the words “allatheena amanou waamilou essalehat”; those who believe and do good deeds.

Love of the Creator and all creation is the hub of that faith; aspiring and striving to live by the highest moral attributes that belongs to the Most Perfect and exists in its Ultimate Excellence in the Most Loving Creator.

This message leads to inner and outer peace through following the fitra (innate nature) that has been implanted inside each and every one of us.

This embossed intrinsic yet veiled knowledge is where all our morality stems from. This subtle awareness is precisely what leads us to long for, love, mimic and impersonate the example of God’s perfect and beautiful attributes:

The all Merciful (Ar-Rahman)

The Most Merciful (Ar-Raheem)

The Most Gracious (Al-Hafi)

The Most Friendly Most Kind (al-Rafeeq)

The Most Compassionate (al-Shafeeq)

The All-Loving (al-Wadoud)

The All-Gentle (al-Ra’uof)

The Most Tender (al-Hannan)

The Beneficent (al-Muhsin)

The All-Subtle (Al-Lateef)

The All- Good (Al-Barr)

The Enricher (Al-Mughnî)

The Ever-Giving (Al-Wahhab)

The Benefactor (Al-Mannan)

The Magnanimous (Al-Jawâd)

The Light (An-Nur)

The Guide (Al-Hadi)

The Ever-Truthful (As-Sâdiq)

The Secure (Al-Ameen)

The Faithful (Al-Wafî)

The Guarantor (Al-Kafeel)

The Praiseworthy (Al-Hameed)

The Guardian (Al-Wakeel)

The One Who Suffices (Al-Kâfî)

The Timelessly Eternal (Al-Qadeem)

The Pre-Eternal (Al-Azalî)

The Post-Eternal (Al-Abadî)

The Abiding (Al-Bâqî)

The Everlasting (Ad-Dâ’im)

The Constant (As-Sarmadî)

.

This is all calculated.The denumciation of Mary Magdeline as a whore only recanted recently was so males would be prime in religious matters.The amazing thing is that most women have gone along with this second class citizenship in religious matters.Good luck women let males tell you what imaginary friends you have.You are not smart enough to figure it out for yourselves.