Knowing this, why do the supposedly enlightened and "woke" people on this site continue to refer to God as he, him, and father? Would it not be more broad-minded and less potentially offensive to simply use the species- and gender-neutral "God," as we do in egalitarian conservative Judaism?
It could be (though I don’t pretend to speak for believers) that this is what the teachings of these faiths insist upon.
The major monotheisms were all pieced together, codified and spread by men, invariably centered around male figures, amid male dominated societies; all of which unfailingly subjugated women and girls by law and tradition.
Except that secular beliefs, to include humanism, agnosticism and atheism were also summarily oppressed, and routinely persecuted through the centuries by the various ‘Parties of God’. This was by design and asserted by doctrine. Still is.
The other fallacy of your response, HG, is that there are no common doctrines among non-believers to assert similar institutional repression against any demographic; so the comparison is a poor one.
The attempt at deflection is a knee jerk defense of the indefensible.
It is interesting, is it not, how female characters are so prominently denigrated in scripture. Eve was fooled by a talking snake (also portrayed in feminine form by religious art) to defy God, bringing mortality into the world; Lot’s wife turned to salt for looking back at God’s wrath; the objectification in religious law, and subjugation (even at worship) in all 3 faiths.
Even consider the passage recited by traditional Jewish men at the beginning of daily morning prayer, “Blessed are you, Lord, our God, ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman”.
Quite the opposite. The cultures from which the Bible stories (and the Quran, the Talmud) arose made it imperative to enforce the status of male domination so pervasive in all of them.
That is in fact the point of the Q. I suggest you read on to Bookworm’s post as well.
A point to be raised about Eve, and I know this is far beyond your thinking but, if, as paleontology shows, the “story” of Eve is indeed a myth, then there is no original sin; hence no need for redemption from original sin; there is then no premise to be “born again”, and THE foundational basis of Christianity falls to pieces.
It would also follow that death isn’t a punishment rendered upon us by a God for the naïve disobedience of one woman, but a biological fact of our being an organic life form with a finite lifespan, just like every other living organism.
Ask yourself how would that ruin at least your perception of life....
This post was edited by Don Barzini at October 28, 2019 3:00 PM MDT
There won’t be one.
Only a paltry few on this site have shown the capacity to attend this level of discourse. She isn’t among them.
SavvyAnsley 