Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxjobox
The writer’s of the “Bible” were few and far between. I doubt they were thinking in terms of analog theological language. Jesus talks about God as Father. If it is analogically written, the main concept would be that we view God in the light we humans view the male and fathers. It’s not presenting God as female and mother. Let’s face it, humans are male and female. The two sexes are not the same in function or mannerisms. They are not equal in the sense of sameness (I’m not talking superior/ inferior). There are unique qualities which we apply to male and father and female and mother. Scripture puts God as exhibiting male/ father qualities. Real or analogically speaking, that seems to be the approach we have to God and God to us. I mean people can reject the Christian paradigm and create their own versions of “truth”, but I think it is futile to try to adopt Christian scripture to a different set of values.
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I'm not sure what you mean by saying the writers of the Bible were few and far between. They may have been more sophisticated than you give them credit for.
To say that a father in ancient Israelites society is a suitable model for God is not the same as saying that God is male. The writers notably did not attribute male or female sexuality to God.
They seem to view sexuality as an attribute of created order, not something that can be applied to God the Creator. The Canaanite fertility cults emphasize the sexual functions of both gods and goddesses. The Old Testament refuses to endorse that idea. Any attribution of sexuality to God is reversion to paganism.
That said, while the Old and New testaments use male language about God and the analogies are mostly masculine, God also has feminine attributes.
For example in Isaiah 42:14 Yahweh says "I groan like a woman in labor.
Isaiah 49: 14-15 says, "But Zion said the Lord has forsaken me my Lord has forgotten me can a woman forget her suckling child that she should have no compassion on the sun of her womb
Deuteronomy 32:18 says, "You forget the rock who begot you unmindful now of the God who gave you birth."
Job 38:8 speaks of the sea as leaping "tumultuous from the womb".
In John 3:6 Jesus says "What is born of the flesh is flesh what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Doesn't that make the Spirit our mother analogically speaking?