Ask Me Help Desk - What would God think? (letter to editor)

September 24, 2009

Chicago Tribune writer Manya A. Brachear's "It's a man's, man's, man's Bible" (News, Sept. 4) reminded me of an exchange I once had with my 8-year-old granddaughter.

When she happened to ask me one day why God made the sky blue, I gave her a playful answer.

"Maybe she just likes that color," I said.

My granddaughter gave me a cockeyed look, stunned that a grown-up could be so crazily misinformed.

"God is a boy," she stated emphatically.

Now it was my turn to be stunned.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

But there was no doubt in her mind. God was a boy. The creator of all things, the epitome of power and wisdom, the highest form of being -- that would be a male.

Get used to it, girlie.

If you truly believe that men are superior to women, that males should be in charge of the world (especially after having done such a bang-up job so far), that man was created in God's image and woman is just a sort of comely afterbirth, then this probably won't bother you. But if you see humanity as defined by its two genders, both equal in worth and interdependence, then the evidence of such patriarchal indoctrination is a terrible shame.

I can't help but look at my granddaughter and wonder what it does to a female's fundamental self-esteem if she grows up taking it for granted that boys are like God and girls aren't.

I contrived an opportunity to test this with another child -- a boy this time -- and got the same result. Apparently only a dimwit doesn't know that God's a boy.

Try it yourself with a child you know. Even if you ask flat-out whether God is a boy or a girl, you're likely to get the same response. And then think about it. Think about the confidence this must inspire in boys.

And the submission it instills in girls.

Some probably assume God approves of this.

But I wonder if she really does.

-- Scott Lynch-Giddings, Blue Island

Copyright © 2009, Chicago Tribune

I can't say what G-d would think about this.

But I can tell you what the Jewish religion thinks.

G-d is a boy.

G-d is also a girl.

And G-d is neither boy nor girl.

G-d has many different names in Jewish tradition. Each name refers to a different aspect or attribute of G-d's being or nature. Some are male names and some are female names.

The male names tend to refer to aspects of G-d's nature that are most often thought of as male attributes (merciless judgement, anger, military prowess).

The female names refer to aspects of G-d's nature that are most often thought of as female attributes (mercy, love, healing, forgiveness).

And there are some names that have no gender at all, and refer to universal attributes (for instance: peace, completeness, endlessness, unity).

So if asked whether G-d is a boy or a girl, the Jewish answer is:

Yes.

And no.

Elliot

I agree with Elliot, our beliefs are similar that way, I don't believe the Almighty is male or female.

"He" is just used when transliterating the religious texts which use genderless noun for the Almighty.
The Almighty is a sum of attributes describing His nature, not comparing the Almighty to any of the Creations.

The attributes are not like the human attributes of the same name, like Merciful,Just, All knowing, All seeing, Nourisher, Expediter,Sustainer,Forbearing, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETWolverine

I can't say what G-d would think about this.

But I can tell you what the Jewish religion thinks.

G-d is a boy.

G-d is also a girl.

And G-d is neither boy nor girl.

G-d has many different names in Jewish tradition. Each name refers to a different aspect or attribute of G-d's being or nature. Some are male names and some are female names.

The male names tend to refer to aspects of G-d's nature that are most often thought of as male attributes (merciless judgement, anger, military prowess).

The female names refer to aspects of G-d's nature that are most often thought of as female attributes (mercy, love, healing, forgiveness).

And there are some names that have no gender at all, and refer to universal attributes (for instance: peace, completeness, endlessness, unity).

So if asked whether G-d is a boy or a girl, the Jewish answer is:

Yes.

And no.

Elliot

I completely agree. God is God, why woulud God just designate a gender to him/herself. It's a human thought, Gender, becaues I think it's hard for us to imaging it, and there's no word to classify genderlessness without the word "it" and "it" is too little of a word as God.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wondergirl

But there was no doubt in her mind. God was a boy. The creator of all things, the epitome of power and wisdom, the highest form of being -- that would be a male.

Get used to it, girlie.

If you truly believe that men are superior to women, that males should be in charge of the world (especially after having done such a bang-up job so far), that man was created in God's image and woman is just a sort of comely afterbirth, then this probably won't bother you. But if you see humanity as defined by its two genders, both equal in worth and interdependence, then the evidence of such patriarchal indoctrination is a terrible shame.

To me there is little surprise in what she would assume. If you consider the bible, and what God said according to Adam and Eve. [ALSO] If you review God's laws, and how a woman and man are instructed to live. Plus there is little surprise that the seed begins each form of life (Genesis 1:11) and (Genesis 2:18) woman was second to man's creation.

As for the image of God, we clearly are told no one has seen God. (John 5:37) Yet we know HIS image is one of righteousness. So when scripture speaks of man being created in God's image, it is referenced by HIS image of righteousness. Everything created by God is of goodness, and shown in love and mercy. (GRACE)

With this we have the promise of God to brings us a Prophet (Deu 18:18) and the seed was planted thr Abraham seed. And that Prophet was proven by HIS work and the hand of God (Deu 18:22) A begotten son of God had declared God (John 1:18) (1 John 4:9) so we have Christ born of a virgin, yet begotten of God, a man child (Revel 12:5) caught up unto God and HIS throne.

John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen ME hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Let's think what Father means in relationship to a Family.(Male figure) or was this addressed in reference to gay marriage, and perhaps we can no longer look at this in the same manner.

Sorry I refuse to follow that idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wondergirl

I can't help but look at my granddaughter and wonder what it does to a female's fundamental self-esteem if she grows up taking it for granted that boys are like God and girls aren't.

If a man would step up their position as being strong and protective, and in keeping the Will of God by resisting their sins, and walking in righteousness of the spirit it would be a good example. The female has her own position, and it is not one of shame, or less important in the eye's of God.

Facts are both, boys or girls can have the image God created them to have in HIS likeness (image of righteousness)

(Genesis 1:26) their likeness, our likeness = Father + Son+ Holy Spirit =Righteousness