Religion

guillaumeb

(42,641 posts) Fri Aug 3, 2018, 02:17 PM Aug 2018

What the early church thought about God's gender [View all]

From the article:

Perhaps one of the most remarkable things ever said about God in the Hebrew Bible occurs in Exodus 3 when Moses first encounters the deity and asks for its name. In verse 14, God responds, “I am who I am,” which is simply a mixture of “to be” verbs in Hebrew without any specific reference to gender. If anything, the book of Exodus is clear that God is simply “being,” which echoes later Christian doctrine that God is spirit.

To read more:

https://religionnews.com/2018/08/02/what-the-early-church-thought-about-gods-gender/

Attempts to debate the gender of the Creator are, in my view, mainly an attempt at anthropomorphizing the Creator in an attempt at understanding the Creator.

138 replies

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Highlight:

What the early church thought about God's gender [View all] guillaumeb Aug 2018 OP

That's what Popeye said. "I am what I am and that's all what I am. 3Hotdogs Aug 2018 #1

God is love Major Nikon Aug 2018 #9

No, I Yam What I Yam. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #12

"So God created man in his own image," MineralMan Aug 2018 #2

I am who I am. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #3

See, that was Jesus who is purported to have said that. MineralMan Aug 2018 #4

God replied to Moses, "I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you." guillaumeb Aug 2018 #5

Was that before god mooned Moses or after? MineralMan Aug 2018 #6

Some of us are convinced. eom guillaumeb Aug 2018 #21

Guillaume, sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #28

That is a question that only those who respond can answer. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #67

😘 sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #74

So it appears. MineralMan Aug 2018 #34

God starts out as a very male, rough bullying "king'" Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #32

If God is a singular entity then does Gen. 1:27 mean God's an "it?" bitterross Aug 2018 #27

Since I do not believe that any deities exist at all, MineralMan Aug 2018 #33

That verse still leaves God's described gender identity somewhat ambiguous... moriah Aug 2018 #136

"God, the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost". Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #7

Literalist. nt. Mariana Aug 2018 #8

Well honestly who knows wtf gender a Holy Ghost is? Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #10

The Holy Ghost is male. It impregnated Mary. nt. Mariana Aug 2018 #11

Series? Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #13

I agree, it's creepy as hell. Mariana Aug 2018 #14

Yes, and it was rape or at the very least sexual coercion Major Nikon Aug 2018 #16

But priests seem to like sex with girls or boys too. Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #59

Hickabee pretends to be man of Jesus, but palls around with child rapists, so go figure. Major Nikon Aug 2018 #60

"Let the children come to me" said Jesus. Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #65

Aspects of the Creator, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #22

Explicitly male. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #25

I would suggest that you read the article, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #66

So you've got nothing. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #69

Rather than continue with your "observations", guillaumeb Aug 2018 #71

Or you could cite the female gender references to your gods in your ancient books of nonsense. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #72

Have fun with your reading. eom guillaumeb Aug 2018 #73

See post 69. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #81

The original model for God was probably a very male, bullying king or " lord" Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #97

How do you know if your bible makes truthful claims? trotsky Aug 2018 #100

Do you exist? guillaumeb Aug 2018 #116

I think therefore I am. marylandblue Aug 2018 #118

Alternatively, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #120

Same thing marylandblue Aug 2018 #121

Your alternative is gibberish compared to the original Major Nikon Aug 2018 #128

Because you do not understand the point guillaumeb Aug 2018 #137

Neither does your canned response validate it Major Nikon Aug 2018 #138

Thank you for admitting you have no idea. trotsky Aug 2018 #132

Our church blur256 Aug 2018 #53

Oops edited that blur256 Aug 2018 #54

In other words, man created god in his image Major Nikon Aug 2018 #15

They are cherry picking a few neutral or feminine references marylandblue Aug 2018 #17

I am who I am implies no gender. eom guillaumeb Aug 2018 #23

cherry picker marylandblue Aug 2018 #24

A very nice picture. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #68

Enjoy your cherries, I hope they are sweet. marylandblue Aug 2018 #78

They are pie cherries, not sweet at all. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #79

So it does not contradict in the least Mariana Aug 2018 #56

Yes, but at least it makes it easier to forget that women in the bible were treated like livestock Major Nikon Aug 2018 #61

worse than livestock. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #70

You also didn't shame your livestock due to their bodily functions Major Nikon Aug 2018 #84

The Creator created gender, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #77

How do you know that? Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #80

Know? guillaumeb Aug 2018 #90

... Major Nikon Aug 2018 #93

You can't prove that Major Nikon Aug 2018 #83

Wholly unsupported claim. trotsky Aug 2018 #99

The genderless Being, the Is or "Am" idea of God. .. Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #101

I have hopes also. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #117

It's worse than that Major Nikon Aug 2018 #38

Luke 1:35 MineralMan Aug 2018 #18

In English translations, "he" for "God" appears as early as Genesis 1:4 muriel_volestrangler Aug 2018 #19

I suspect the author understands what a simile is. Mariana Aug 2018 #20

If they were honest they would have to say Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #26

Here's me being 'honest'. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #29

Whether or not it's all made up hooey Mariana Aug 2018 #30

Now how did I know/expect that to be the forthcoming response after my sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #31

Naturally, you believe that you are right Mariana Aug 2018 #35

Say whut? sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #40

Supposedly the First 'Christians' met with one another in homes for worship and fellowship. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #42

A religion of powerpoints? marylandblue Aug 2018 #44

Hay you! 😉 sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #45

In the Book of Acts, chapter 5 Mariana Aug 2018 #62

This appears to be sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #63

Jesus wasn't a charlatan? Major Nikon Aug 2018 #37

Think that's cute? sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #41

Now how did I know/expect that to be the forthcoming response after my Major Nikon Aug 2018 #46

Quit nabbing my lines! They're not easily rendered. 😊 sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #49

I'll have my people contact your people about the royalty arrangements Major Nikon Aug 2018 #50

Sounds like a plan. I could use the 💰💰💰. 🤑 sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #55

Well, Christianity has precious little to do with Jesus, really. MineralMan Aug 2018 #43

It's also impossible to say whether or not David Koresh was a god as he also claimed Major Nikon Aug 2018 #47

Difference is, we know exactly what David Koresh said and did marylandblue Aug 2018 #48

We don't know Jesus even claimed divinity Major Nikon Aug 2018 #51

Well, since there is no reliable record of MineralMan Aug 2018 #57

I think the parallels with Koresh are interesting Major Nikon Aug 2018 #58

Yes. There are definitely similarities. However, MineralMan Aug 2018 #64

The next jesus in your estimation. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #86

Your estimation has already been cold hard busted Major Nikon Aug 2018 #88

Personally I think any story with a talking plant is amusing Major Nikon Aug 2018 #36

You should perhaps think of getting a gig at The Laugh Factory. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #39

With Jay Leno out of work, the timing doesn't seem right Major Nikon Aug 2018 #52

Yes, this is correct. God responding with an answer of sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #75

And concepts of gender are a part of the Creator, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #76

Yes, this.👏 sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #82

You can't prove that Major Nikon Aug 2018 #85

You can't not prove that. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #87

You are stealing Gil's tired worn out line Major Nikon Aug 2018 #89

So you say. I borrowed this double negative technique from the mango coloured oval office occupant. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #95

No Major Nikon Aug 2018 #104

P.S. I am not aware of tired worn out lines of which you speak. no text sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #96

Prove that you exist outside of my imagination. eom guillaumeb Aug 2018 #91

I feel no obligation to prove or disprove what anyone else asserts without evidence Major Nikon Aug 2018 #92

I imagined a response, guillaumeb Aug 2018 #115

I imagined a non-response and it appeared Major Nikon Aug 2018 #119

Who did you ask to prove it? marylandblue Aug 2018 #94

#85 guillaumeb Aug 2018 #122

Proving his existence. marylandblue Aug 2018 #123

Not necessarily. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #124

You are behaving as if you believe you are speaking to real people marylandblue Aug 2018 #125

My behavior, the conversations at DU, might be an aspect of my own delusion. guillaumeb Aug 2018 #126

They might be, but you do not believe it to be so marylandblue Aug 2018 #127

And yet you brought it up anyway Major Nikon Aug 2018 #129

Idealism is objective nonsense. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #130

You have absolutely no idea, and you never will. trotsky Aug 2018 #98

Man created God to control woman. So of course man made God a man. CrispyQ Aug 2018 #102

If only they'd written it down. Act_of_Reparation Aug 2018 #103

They did, eventually Major Nikon Aug 2018 #105

I mean in reference to the early church. Act_of_Reparation Aug 2018 #106

The earliest surviving gospel manuscript 150 AD. Bretton Garcia Aug 2018 #108

Yup. MineralMan Aug 2018 #109

I'm being generous... Act_of_Reparation Aug 2018 #110

Genesis was in written form at least a millennium before Christ Major Nikon Aug 2018 #112

It makes sense if Christianity was an apocalyptic cult. Act_of_Reparation Aug 2018 #113

Still is Major Nikon Aug 2018 #114

If your 'belief' is that man made God up to suit himself, then, yeah, sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #107

Rejection of belief isn't a belief Major Nikon Aug 2018 #111

There are lots of gods. Voltaire2 Aug 2018 #131

Oh, my DOG. sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #133

Say it ain't so, Joe...Say it ain't so! MineralMan Aug 2018 #134

Saying this with hesitancy: sprinkleeninow Aug 2018 #135