Why are people offended when I address god as a woman?

The last I checked, God claimed no gender. I happen to be a woman, so I relate best to God as a woman. I am not putting God down in any way, shape, or form. I also never stated that it was wrong to address her as a male. Mother God instead of Father God works best for me. Why do some people get so offended when I call her a her?

Because the Old Testament scriptures were written in a time when women were considered as nothing more than a man's property, God had to be referred to as a male. After all, a god must be mighty and powerful, not a piece of baggage to be traded or discarded at will. As times change, so do people's perceptions of what 'God' is. But not everyone's perceptions. Some people are still living in 4000 BC and they think we should all be stuck there with them.

cause GOD is not a woman he is a man and the reason why people get angry is because some people dont listen to the BIBLE its in the BIBLE that GOD is a man and not a woman!

No need to yell... I asked for an explanation not an ambush. I know you believe with everything you are that you are right, and I can respect that. I wish you could respect my decision to disagree with you. Most christians I have met with a gentle spirit just want to see me happy and rejoice in the heaven that they know of. When people (ahem) yell and beat me over the head with their Bible Billy, it is really a turn off, just so you know. May God Bless You

no honey go ahead if she is women to you, thats what she is and ignorant people shouln't be able to get in your way ,of your way of thinking.

Ignore them. God is neither a man nor a woman. Since we shouldn't call him/her an it, we shall choose any gender we like. [:

I believe that we can not percieve god's gender because he was nor man or woman. however, 'jesus' was his life form and he was man. but that is only my opinion sis.

oh sorry im not yellin its just I like to use explaination points when I type sorry if it looked like I yelled at u...

that's ok teachel. (Capital letters are considered yelling... I'm all about exclamation points) I understand why people call God a he. I don't understand why it is offensive to them when I call her a she. Let me rephrase. What is degrading about calling God a she?

easy anwser for you. Because people are ignorant, and people are afraid of things they don't understand and the only way they can deal with it is to try to outcast someone else's beliefs. It has been happening for years. Salem witch trails, Spanish inquisition, ect.

I guess some people are just really passionate about it. Or they are really uptight and are the type to correct everbody when they think they phrased something in a way they themselves wouldn't. To be honest, I have never known anyone to refere to god as she, I have heard someone believe god is black though. I do not believe he is black strongly. but as far as gender, I think god is male. but what ever floats your boat. the point is that you have faith, not debate his gender.

I think redhays hit the nail on the head with this one. Kudos.

who cares lol.

He does have a gender. We refer to him as God the Father. Women are not fathers. He is a male. That doesn't put women down. Just because God is a man doesn't mean women are being put down...please don't think that.

You know what would be interesting for you to do? Take a Bible, and just study every part of it that has to do with the nature of God. Get to know your Heavenly Father. Who He is, what His mission is, what He's like, His laws...etc. Get to know Him and then go from there.

hope this helps.

To those claiming God is a male: Really? What defines the christian god as male? Presumably he doesn't have genitalia, and doesn't need to urinate or have sex.

Let's try another question: What's god's skin color? His race? How tall is he, and what color is his hair?

Arachnid: I want to know God's favourite colour, and whether God prefers Skittles or Starburst. Now *that* would be informative.

Who knows?? I can't see how GOD could be a man or a woman...you'd have to be human, and if GOD is human...how is GOD a GOD?

God is not a man obviously, otherwise God would not be God...

This is why I refer to God without pronouns it can be quite annoying, but hey, pronouns are for animals who have different genders...

And that is the entire point... for there to be an assignation of a particular gender there has to be an opposite gender... so unless there's a female equivilant of God, you cannot say God is male...

As for the bible, the people who wrote it chose to use male pronouns, now as God did not actually zap those words into a book, (obviously, otherwise I think God would have avoided all those contradictions..) I dont think it proves things either way, except that men wrote it and maybe the men who wrote it were living in a male dominated society...

hey look nobody said that GOD was a women no one even knows if it is a person! People are sexsest thinking that anyone with power must be male! But really if you want to believe that GOD is a woman then you do so !
hope that helped! xxx

God has always been referred to as a male. The femimist movement seeks to change that. The ones that are offended are defending the bible as it is written.

God has the ability to be Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Friend, Savior, or what ever esle we have need of, Why do you feel the need to challange that?

silverwings: If that's so, why do you have a problem with people referring to god using the opposite pronoun?

where do all of you get your information? you are so confused. have you looked through the scriptures for the answers to your questions? I have answered religious questions on this site, but I would hope that anyone who saw them would search for their credibility in the scriptures. don't believe me...believe the evidence in the scriptures.

God has the ability to do anything He wants to. that still doesn't change the fact of what He is though. men were made in God's image. (men meaning 'mankind' ladies.) He is the glorified and perfect version of us. He is our Father.

Also, you are not 'sexest' if you say that God is a male. this is not a power trip thing. Women do have power...they have a power so sacred that men cannot have--it's the power of being mothers. men cannot and will not ever be able to have that. so is it sexest then if we say 'only women can be mothers'? no, that's just how it is.

I think that the way you all are trying to define your Heavenly Father is very confusing. Just go to the scriptures, and find out for yourself what He is.

Very good question, makes people think, which doesn't happen very often in some cases. LOL

The Bible refers to God as a male. Jesus is male. I believe the Bible

sillygirl006: You still haven't defined what makes the christian god a male, other than that 'that's what [he] is'. What attributes does he have that makes him male?

Also, as I asked earlier - if your god has a gender, what's his race, and his skin color? How tall is he, and what color is his hair? All of these questions seem equally meaningless to me, unless you really do think of god as a big bearded guy in the sky.

good answer eleni.

God is our Creator, much more than just a 'big bearded guy in the sky.'

The Bible is God's holy word and it says God is male/Jesus is God. And the Bible says 'let Us make man in Our image' that's good enough for me.

Since Jesus was born Jewish while He walked the earth He look Jewish; dark almond skin color, black hair, dark eyes and He probably had large shoulders and hands because He worked with wood for His first thirty years.

I have heard a prayer that started out 'Father, Mother, God. I think it covers all bases.

I am not offended if you think of God as a woman. You have a right to believe as you wish. We have that freewill.

Jesus looked at the fearful, hurrying people of Jerusalem and exclaimed something along the lines of: 'How often have I wanted to gather you as a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings!'

He had no difficulty identifying with the motherly, feminine side of parenthood.

But as a bodiless spirit, God is clearly genderless. If people have a positive understanding of a father's love and provision, they are likely to appreciate Jesus' description of God as 'Daddy' (this is how the Lord's Prayer begins in Aramaic). However, if people have a negative view of fathers, then there are other images in the Bible which can help them to understand what God's perfect, unconditional love is all about.

*I very much agree with this part of silverwings' post: *God has the ability to be Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Friend, Savior, or what ever esle we have need of*

orion, what exactly does 'looking jewish' mean?
Following the defeat of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah, the Jewish people were dispersed throughout the Middle East, especially in Egypt, Yemen and Mesopotamia. By the height of the Roman Empire, Jewish communities could be found in nearly every notable settlement throughout the Empire, as well as scattered communities found in settlements beyond the Empire's borders in northern Europe and in Africa. In the east, Jewish communities could be found throughout Parthia and in empires even further east including India and China. Jews could also be found in eastern Europe and southwestern Asia.
I don't mean to detour from the original question, but I was just wondering.
and magichalo1, nice answer.

Jeepers trickynick, (I like that word Jeepers)

I really think I made myself clear of what a Jewish person looks like: 'He look Jewish; dark almond skin color, black hair, dark eyes ' If I said Sweden what would you think they'd look like? Blonde hair, blue eyes...

I think you just asked that question to show off your smarts on what you know about history and such.

no, I actually asked and answered that question because what I included pointed out that the 'jewish people' are everywhere and as such have many different physical traits.
I don't consider myself to be that smart, I just was bothered by the 'blanket' description.
but, I stand corrected. as you stated 'a Jewish person looks like: 'He look Jewish; dark almond skin color, black hair, dark eyes ' and a swedish person has 'Blonde hair, blue eyes.'
sorry for the confusion...

but now I am really confused
I have blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes, 6'4' tall and my mom, dad, grandparents on both sides, great grandparents, great-grandparents and so on are all jewish.
in fact, my mother was born in Israel.
maybe I am swedish after all.
'thanks for clearing that up.
lol. and I like the word 'jeepers' also.

but this forum is for the question 'Why are people offended when I address god as a woman?'
and I am not offended when anyone calls Him by Her.

Really? There was a lady pastor who called upon Our Heavenly Mother just as she was ordained to lead a church. Short lived pastorate. The segment was on 'The Pilgrim' radio about a year ago.

He is God the Father, Almighty. Jesus went out to be by himself to pray to His Father. We may think of heaven as genderless as we all will be His Bride (the Church). Spiritual leaders in the house are to be the males, but if there is not one, or the man refuses, the woman may be the spiritual leader.

I heard about a lady with 11 kids that told her kids it was 'her time' and not to be bothered when she would sit in a chair, flip her apron up over her head and pray for an hour. I don't know why I added that, but Oh the power of a praying woman.

God is still our 'Heavenly Father.'

At the Last Supper, John was described as laying against Jesus' bosom, but that meant precious loved one, close to His heart, etc.

The Lord keeps us all in His bosom: loving all of us as His children by wrapping his loving arms around us. Taking us under His wing, nurturing us, all that stuff!

Really? There was a lady pastor who called upon Our Heavenly Mother just as she was ordained to lead a church. Short lived pastorate. The segment was on 'The Pilgrim' radio about a year ago.

He is God the Father, Almighty. Jesus went out to be by himself to pray to His Father. We may think of heaven as genderless as we all will be His Bride (the Church). Spiritual leaders in the house are to be the males, but if there is not one, or the man refuses, the woman may be the spiritual leader.

I heard about a lady with 11 kids that told her kids it was 'her time' and not to be bothered when she would sit in a chair, flip her apron up over her head and pray for an hour. I don't know why I added that, but Oh the power of a praying woman.

God is still our 'Heavenly Father.'

At the Last Supper, John was described as laying against Jesus' bosom, but that meant precious loved one, close to His heart, etc.

The Lord keeps us all in His bosom: loving all of us as His children by wrapping his loving arms around us. Taking us under His wing, nurturing us, all that stuff!

So the main concensus is that the reason people get offended is because most of the Bible refers to God with male adjectives and pronouns. Let me know if you still disagree with that.

Yes, because it is not most of the time, it is all of the time 'Father.'

to flossheal---you're right...you do have complete free wil to chose wrong.

meganhead---I think also another part of it is that the priesthood (or the power of God on earth) is reserved for men. the power of God cannot be held by women because God is a man. So saying that God is or can be a woman totally nullifies the priesthood.

Why does everyone get so riled up over religous conversations?? Im not religous but I thought that god (who ever he or she is) was suposed to love everyone ??? whatever their thoughts were.

sillygirl006-what is so hilarious to me is that I caught myself engaging in preconcieved notions, thinking that you were older with such old fashioned beliefs. (not that there is anything wrong with that) I just found it ironic that I made such an assumption on my own post, I guess trying to prove a point. but the only think I've proven is to myself, that fanatics will blow up their own limbs convincing you they are right before opening their minds just wide enough to step around that land mine. I believe that God has a strange sense of humor. thanks for giving me that opportunity to learn something.

Hi sillygirl. Can you just explain to me what you mean about 'free will to choose wrong'? in what I said, because I didn't actually mention this in my post for this question (maybe on others, but not on this one). Sorry that I don't get it - can you spell it out for me, please?

when jesus was on the cross he said abba father not abba mother.

when jesus was on the cross he said abba father not abba mother.

when jesus was on the cross he said abba father not abba mother.

when jesus was on the cross he said abba father not abba mother.

God the Father, God the son, blah blah blah
need a say more?
Though you are right, god claims no gender,
but women were considered as lower species back then
In fact, one of the reasons why men being gay was a sin, because they has to lower theirselves to a women standard when having s#x with another male. The bible doesn't say anythng of a chick being g@y.
But yeah.
Stupid aye?