'God is neither male nor female':

[Jazzy]

The Church of England is considering whether to stop referring to God as “he”, after priests asked to be allowed to use gender-neutral terms.

The church said it would launch a new commission on the matter in the spring. Any potential alterations, which would mark a departure from traditional teachings dating back millennia, would have to be approved by synod, the Church’s decision-making body.

Read more

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What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Josiah]

While God doesn't have sexual organs, God is PERSONAL. So, if we refuse to refer to God by gender terms, then we are left with the ONLY option of referring to God as an "IT." And God is not an "IT."

The Holy Spirit chose to use the male pronouns. Not feminine and not "it." Perhaps Christians are best to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit on this?


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[Lucian Hodoboc]

referring to God as an "IT." And God is not an "IT."

Not to mention that there are languages that don't even have an equivalent of the "it" pronoun. My language, Romanian, has only masculine and feminine pronouns.

 

[hedrick]

While God doesn't have sexual organs, God is PERSONAL. So, if we refuse to refer to God by gender terms, then we are left with the ONLY option of referring to God as an "IT." And God is not an "IT."

The Holy Spirit chose to use the male pronouns. Not feminine and not "it." Perhaps Christians are best to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit on this?


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A number of churches have already done this. We don’t call God it. Sometimes we just say God, but the wording depends upon the context. Sometimes our father. Sometimes passive voice, as was often done in the NT. But a simple alternative would be the singular they. As in Elohim. Sometimes the repetition of God is annoying, but in general the change hadn’t been difficult, or even particularly noticeable.

 

[Albion]

A number of churches have already done this. We don’t call God it. Sometimes we just say God, but the wording depends upon the context. Sometimes our father. Sometimes passive voice, as was often done in the NT. But a simple alternative would be the singular they.

--which would almost certainly cause confusion as to the identity of the one true God, or else cause people who haven't been well schooled in Christian theology to think it means some kind of heavenly panel rather than the One god in Trinity,

Much the same thing happened when the campaign to change "Holy Ghost" to "Holy Spirit" succeeded.

We see the results of that right here on CH--people thinking that to say "Holy Spirit" is to refer to an invisible force of God that supposedly emanates from the Almighty in order to make private revelations to certain individuals.

 

[prism]

God has a Son.
ITs don't have sons.
Jesus was circumcised, ITs aren't circumcised.
More apostate mindsets.

 

[Stravinsk]

Really, what else does one expect from a nation who's public schools feed children lies about gender and gender identity?

 

[tango]

Really, what else does one expect from a nation who's public schools feed children lies about gender and gender identity?

... except that since God apparently self-identifies with male pronouns it would be misgendering him to use anything else, based on all the gender identity gibberish we're constantly being fed.

 

[Josiah]

... except that since God apparently self-identifies with male pronouns it would be misgendering him to use anything else, based on all the gender identity gibberish we're constantly being fed.

Agreed.

In koine Greek and in biblical Hebrew, there are 3 possibilities for such pronouns: male, female and impersonal "it." In EVERY case in the Bible, the Holy Spirit chose the male pronoun.

Now, some may hold that the Holy Spirit goofed every time, or that God is a male chauvinist or hated women, but I think the Holy Spirit likely has a reason for this ... and it might be good to follow God's lead here. Even if we don't understand WHY the Bible (every time) uses the male pronoun in reference to God. That seems wiser than insisted God goofed (every time) or is wrong because some people disagree with God or is a sinful chauvinist.



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[tango]

Agreed.

In koine Greek and in biblical Hebrew, there are 3 possibilities for such pronouns: male, female and impersonal "it." In EVERY case in the Bible, the Holy Spirit chose the male pronoun.

Now, some may hold that the Holy Spirit goofed every time, or that God is a male chauvinist or hated women, but I think the Holy Spirit likely has a reason for this ... and it might be good to follow God's lead here. Even if we don't understand WHY the Bible (every time) uses the male pronoun in reference to God. That seems wiser than insisted God goofed (every time) or is wrong because some people disagree with God or is a sinful chauvinist.

Funny how it's apparently the most heinous crime imaginable to use anything other than a person's preferred pronouns and yet despite God using male pronouns throughout Scripture it falls to us to decide how he identifies.

 

[hedrick]

It doesn’t appear that the Anglicans are planning to change current liturgy. Fact Check-Church of England not planning to abolish or substantially revise currently authorised liturgies, contrary to social media claims it seems like this would mean additional options of some sort, but at the moment it seems unclear just what they are thinking of.

 

[Albion]

According to what I read, this subject of altering pronouns is a long way from being decided in the Church of England, and the other issue--same-sex unions--has been decided on the basis of allowing a blessing of such unions in church but not actual marriage ceremonies involving such couples.

 

[JohnK65]

Perhaps Christians simply made God "male" because of the male dominated societies in which they lived. Only humans would try and place limits on God. To "anthropomorphize" God. This strikes me as simply common sense. God is neither male nor female.

 

[Albion]

Perhaps Christians simply made God "male" because of the male dominated societies in which they lived. Only humans would try and place limits on God. To "anthropomorphize" God. This strikes me as simply common sense. God is neither male nor female.

Not in the literal, physical sense, we might think, but of course "male" and "female" indicate other characteristics as well.

And it may be worth mentioning also that God was actually seen as a man in the Old Testament and Jesus, as we know, was a real human male at the same time as he was divine.

 

[Josiah]

Perhaps Christians simply made God "male" because of the male dominated societies in which they lived. Only humans would try and place limits on God. To "anthropomorphize" God. This strikes me as simply common sense. God is neither male nor female.

What Albion said above....

Plus, IMO, it's good to remember that GOD refers to GOD in the masculine. The Bible is absolutely consistent on this: God is always referred to with a male pronoun. Now, we don't know WHY God did that in the Bible, but I think it's safe to assume He was/is correct and that that's better than using the female ('she') or impersonal ('it') pronouns.

Since GOD chose to use the male pronoun, I think it's probably best to follow God's lead there and not suggest that God was/is wrong. WHATEVER God's reason for doing as God did/does.



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