God Is A He, And Can Never Be Called A "she"

[Ziggamafu]

The gender of God is not unimportant. Although God is intangible spirit and lacks a physical body, it is hugely important to insist on His masculinity. Here is why:

1. We start with a comparison between Creator and Creation.

First of all - and most importantly - the Creator is distinct from Creation.

The Creator is bigger, and the gift of grace, which allows for life to be produced in the first place, comes from Him.
The Creator is active in the relationship of grace, and His grace is invasive - penetrating Creation; God is the "giver" in the relationship of grace.

The Creation is smaller, and the gift of grace, which allows for Creation to produce life, comes from God.
The Creation is passive in the relationship of grace, and is submissive to God's grace - it cannot penetrate God, but must allow God to penetrate it; Creation is the "receiver" in the relationship of grace.

2. We move to an observation on God's method in creating humanity.

God could have evolved Man's body in any way He wished; Humanity could have been asexual, for instance. Humanity did not need to be comprised of males and females. Yet God chose to create humans - the primary reason for creating our little solar system to begin with - in this manner, "that a man might leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two might become one flesh". And what is the divinely inspired story provided to convey this choice on God's part? Man is created first, then woman is created from the preexisting man.

Note that:

-Man came before woman
-Man is distinct from woman
-Man is (normally, although the Genesis story does not specify) larger than woman
-The gift of seed, which allows for life to be produced in the first place, comes from man.
-The man is active in the relationship of sex, and is invasive - penetrating the woman. The man is the "giver" in the relationship of sex.

-Woman comes from man
-Woman is distinct from man
-Woman is (again, normally speaking) smaller than man
-Woman is entirely dependent on the gift of seed for her body to produce life
-The woman is passive in the relationship of sex, and is submissive - allowing herself to be penetrated. The woman is the "receiver" in the relationship of sex.

We immediately see a highly precise sign of the Creator's relationship of grace with Creation in male and female sexuality.

3. God's description of humanity in His relationship with us.

Besides divinely inspiring the Scriptures such that God is always referred to as a "He", God furthermore is consistent in referring to His People as a "She". In both the Old and New Testaments, God portrays Himself in the relationship of grace as a groom and portrays His People as a bride. Indeed, the full meaning of creating humanity as male and female, "that a man might leave his father and mother and cling to his wife, and the two might become one flesh" is revealed in the New Testament; the marital act is a sign of Christ's relationship with the Church (again, a sign of Creator and Creation).

This then, is why Christ could only come as a man and not a woman, because He had to be representative of God, and God is more masculine than any created masculinity. In fact, throughout all of our observations, we have found that Creation is entirely feminine, and any "masculinity" within Creation is actually a mere shadow and sign of the only true masculinity, which belongs to God alone. This also demonstrates why priests, which act in the person of Christ (going beyond a mere representative) must be male; we could even say that the male sex is part of the proper matter of Holy Orders, since it is essential to the outward sign that is ongoing in the priestly ministry.

God is more of a "He" than I am. I am part of the bride of Christ, for goodness sake, a part of feminine Creation! My sexuality is merely a created sign of God's spiritual masculinity. My body/soul unity is masculine only in the function of an individual sign of God's masculinity; compared to God's masculinity, I am, like all other men, utterly feminine.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Ziggamafu' date='05 March 2010 - 03:41 PM' timestamp='1267821706' post='2067201']
-The gift of seed, which allows for life to be produced in the first place, comes from man.

-Woman is entirely dependent on the gift of seed for her body to produce life
[/quote]

Man is also entirely dependent on the woman when it comes to producing life.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='05 March 2010 - 10:56 PM' timestamp='1267847776' post='2067357']
Man is also entirely dependent on the woman when it comes to producing life.
[/quote]

Both man and wife must rely on one another. Certainly man is dependent on woman to carry the child and give birth. Which is why man has the duty to love and care for his beloved wife and their child. During the first couple of months she may not be 'dependent' on her husband but it would be a blessing for him to help her, and as time goes on becomes more and more important.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='05 March 2010 - 11:14 PM' timestamp='1267848846' post='2067362']
Both man and wife must rely on one another. Certainly man is dependent on woman to carry the child and give birth. Which is why man has the duty to love and care for his beloved wife and their child. During the first couple of months she may not be 'dependent' on her husband but it would be a blessing for him to help her, and as time goes on becomes more and more important.
[/quote]

I was speaking specifically about the marital embrace.

[KnightofChrist]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='05 March 2010 - 11:24 PM' timestamp='1267849477' post='2067366']
I was speaking specifically about the marital embrace.
[/quote]

But in that they are completely equal in dependence. It is what happens afterward that makes women specially blessed where man is not. Where he is dependent on her to carry their child.

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' date='05 March 2010 - 11:37 PM' timestamp='1267850246' post='2067371']
But in that they are completely equal in dependence. It is what happens afterward that makes women specially blessed where man is not. Where he is dependent on her to carry their child.
[/quote]

He is dependent on her because without a woman, no child can be conceived. Just as without a man, no child can be conceived. The original post made it sound as if woman is dependent on man for the creation of life, but man is not dependent on woman for the creation of life (since the corresponding points made no reference to the latter).

[missionseeker]

St. Julian of Norwich calls Him a Her...

[Jesus_lol]

but if no man can fully understand women, and God is omniscient, then God cant be just a man.

[BarbTherese]

I take my concept from the Pater Noster. Jesus taught us to call God "Our Father" and that to me is a distinct male identity and role. The traditional role of the father is the provider and head of the household - I'm very old fashioned and probably politically incorrect also. I can insight that God is "I Am Who Am" (today's Reading) and that God transcends our gender identities - but to me, Jesus is still telling us something about God in teaching us to say "Our Father" and for me that has something to do with the way the father's identity and role was understood in His times.

Blessings this Lent - Barb

[Selah]

oh, never mind.

Edited March 6, 2010 by Selah

[Hilde]

I have never really looked at God as male as opposed to female, but calling him by male names such as "father" has strong biblical basis. I think he's beyond these categories.

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='05 March 2010 - 10:56 PM' timestamp='1267847776' post='2067357']
Man is also entirely dependent on the woman when it comes to producing life.
[/quote]

Adam was created first; the seed came before the egg. Creation produces life, but only by God's grace. God cooperates with Creation, and chooses to depend on Creation for the subsequent production of life (with Mary's Fiat as the greatest example), but Creation's ability to produce life within itself is entirely dependent on the grace of God. Woman produces life, but only by the man's seed. Man cooperates with woman and is entirely dependent on woman for the production of human life, but woman's ability to produce life within herself is entirely dependent on the seed of man. And, ultimately, God chose for her to be entirely dependent on man for her existence, period; there would be no Eve if there was no Adam from whom she could be created. I am arguing that this distinction between the sexes, and especially their marital embrace, is a deliberately created sign of God's distinction from and relationship with Creation. All of this is why God is a spiritual "He"; the masculinity of created males is merely a sign within feminine Creation of the only true masculinity that is God's own.

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='Hilde' date='06 March 2010 - 07:59 AM' timestamp='1267880368' post='2067476']
I have never really looked at God as male as opposed to female, but calling him by male names such as "father" has strong biblical basis. I think he's beyond these categories.
[/quote]

God's masculinity is beyond created man's masculinity. Both created sexes reflect certain aspects of God's nature. Still, as Mary is - directly and primarily speaking - a sign of the Church, and only secondarily a sign of Christ, so to the female sex is directly and primarily a sign of Creation (of which man is a part).

[HisChildForever]

[quote name='Ziggamafu' date='06 March 2010 - 08:30 AM' timestamp='1267882244' post='2067482']
Woman produces life, but only by the man's seed. Man cooperates with woman and is entirely dependent on woman for the production of human life, but woman's ability to produce life within herself is entirely dependent on the seed of man.
[/quote]

And man's ability to spread his seed is entirely dependent on the womb (and egg) of woman.

[Ziggamafu]

[quote name='HisChildForever' date='06 March 2010 - 08:48 AM' timestamp='1267883318' post='2067487']
And man's ability to spread his seed is entirely dependent on the womb (and egg) of woman.
[/quote]

[quote]Adam was created first; the seed came before the egg.
...God chose for her to be entirely dependent on man for her existence, period; there would be no Eve if there was no Adam from whom she could be created.
[/quote]

Man is able to, if he (wrongfully) chooses, totally remove himself from the situation after he has given the woman his seed. The process of life within Creation depends on there being a Creation to generate life in the first place, but the life cannot be generated without the gift of grace. In other words, the process of life occurs within Creation, but only passively. Creation is submissive, passive, and receptive to God's act of grace. Woman is submissive, passive, and receptive to man's sex act.