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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:52 am
I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless?
In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female.
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 5:11 pm
RoseRose I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless? In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female. I believe the word you are searching for here is Chokmah, meaning wisdom. In gnostic Tradition the word is anagrammatize to be: Achamoth, and is associated with the lower aspect of "Sophia". Gnosticism Relies on Emanations of the parent entity who is Unknowable and only can be described though Negative Theology. There are Female Emmanations and Male Emmanations. In fact the Christ and the Sophia are a Syzrgy, and "married"
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 7:11 pm
God is genderless, but personified/animalized images of God aren't incorrect.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:02 pm
Rookherst[KOS] RoseRose I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless? In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female. I believe the word you are searching for here is Chokmah, meaning wisdom. In gnostic Tradition the word is anagrammatize to be: Achamoth, and is associated with the lower aspect of "Sophia". Gnosticism Relies on Emanations of the parent entity who is Unknowable and only can be described though Negative Theology. There are Female Emmanations and Male Emmanations. In fact the Christ and the Sophia are a Syzrgy, and "married" No, the word is Shechinah. I'm coming from the Jewish tradition (and being IN the Jewish tradition) not a Christian tradition. Although that part about gnosticism and Chokmah is VERY interesting. And kleokriesel, that's an interesting statment. Can you provide any explanation or anything about it?
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 4:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:14 pm
RoseRose Rookherst[KOS] RoseRose I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless? In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female. I believe the word you are searching for here is Chokmah, meaning wisdom. In gnostic Tradition the word is anagrammatize to be: Achamoth, and is associated with the lower aspect of "Sophia". Gnosticism Relies on Emanations of the parent entity who is Unknowable and only can be described though Negative Theology. There are Female Emmanations and Male Emmanations. In fact the Christ and the Sophia are a Syzrgy, and "married" No, the word is Shechinah. I'm coming from the Jewish tradition (and being IN the Jewish tradition) not a Christian tradition. Although that part about gnosticism and Chokmah is VERY interesting. And kleokriesel, that's an interesting statment. Can you provide any explanation or anything about it? I was positive that Kabbala used Either Chokmah or Barbelo for the feminine Aspect of God. Perhaps I am wrong.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:26 pm
RoseRose I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless? In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female. I believe(currently) that GOD has no gender, yet has male and female characteristics, cause he's got that whole love thing down, yet he's not affraid to beat your a**, as seen in the old testament....you know when he got pissed off at the Jews, well actually he kinda killed some of them, but you get my point.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:58 pm
RoseRose Rookherst[KOS] RoseRose I decided to start a new topic. In your theology/theologies you know of, is the G-d (or g-ds) male, female, both or genderless? In Judaism, according to Kabbalistic sources (this is according to a Rabbi that gave me a lecture when I was in Israel), there is a feminine aspect to G-d, the Shechinah (sp). So, from this, I derive that the Jewish view of G-d is both male and female. I believe the word you are searching for here is Chokmah, meaning wisdom. In gnostic Tradition the word is anagrammatize to be: Achamoth, and is associated with the lower aspect of "Sophia". Gnosticism Relies on Emanations of the parent entity who is Unknowable and only can be described though Negative Theology. There are Female Emmanations and Male Emmanations. In fact the Christ and the Sophia are a Syzrgy, and "married" No, the word is Shechinah. I'm coming from the Jewish tradition (and being IN the Jewish tradition) not a Christian tradition. Although that part about gnosticism and Chokmah is VERY interesting. And kleokriesel, that's an interesting statment. Can you provide any explanation or anything about it? Shekinah is translated as "Sophia" in Greek, so it's essentially the same thing.
Personally, I don't believe in God as gendered -- it doesn't make sense. Also in Genesis God says that s/he is making humans in her/his image, and s/he makes man and woman at the same time. 'adham (earthling) is a gender-neutral being that Eve later splits off from (the Hebrew word that gets translated as "rib" means "side" -- she came from Adam's side).
So, from that and from the fact that both feminine and masculine language is used in scripture to refer to God (though the masculine is used more often, I have to admit), it appears that God is neither male nor female.
However, I believe it is important to use gender-inclusive language when referring to God (and to try and avoid using only masculine pronouns, or to switch pronouns) because it is necessary for women as well as men to feel a connection to the divine, otherwise the congregation/religion risks devaluing the female and the female experience.
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 7:59 pm
Does this have something to do with the fact that if you put the Hebrew letters on top of each other it looks like a person? (So I've been told.)
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Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2007 8:49 pm
roothands Shekinah is translated as "Sophia" in Greek, so it's essentially the same thing.
They both mean wisdom, so naturally..
Quote: Personally, I don't believe in God as gendered -- it doesn't make sense. Also in Genesis God says that s/he is making humans in her/his image, and s/he makes man and woman at the same time. 'adham (earthling) is a gender-neutral being that Eve later splits off from (the Hebrew word that gets translated as "rib" means "side" -- she came from Adam's side). So, from that and from the fact that both feminine and masculine language is used in scripture to refer to God (though the masculine is used more often, I have to admit), it appears that God is neither male nor female. However, I believe it is important to use gender-inclusive language when referring to God (and to try and avoid using only masculine pronouns, or to switch pronouns) because it is necessary for women as well as men to feel a connection to the divine, otherwise the congregation/religion risks devaluing the female and the female experience.
3nodding 4laugh I agree.
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 2:25 pm
I think that the god of abraham is fairly masculine. It would seem to make sense if the birthgiver to all existance were female. Ya know, a giver of birth.
But not only does it seem strongly implied as generally male, it seems to be far too typically masculine and aggressive. A god of punishment more than anything else.
I would think a female god to make more sense, but sensibility never stopped religious believers in the past.
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:05 pm
roothands No, the word is Shechinah. I'm coming from the Jewish tradition (and being IN the Jewish tradition) not a Christian tradition. [some text snipped] Shekinah is translated as "Sophia" in Greek, so it's essentially the same thing. Not exactly. Chochmah is analogous to Sofia, 'wisdom'. Sh'khinah means "she who dwells among/within." It's from the root word Shin-Khaf-Nun, "to dwell." Though most of the time the Hebrew Bible uses male verb forms and nouns to refer to G*D, because Hebrew uses the male forms to indicate both male and neuter things. The Hebrew-speaking mind has no problem differentiating between sex and gender. The sex of a cat can be male or female, but the word khatul (Hebrew for 'cat') is a masculine word. A table is not male, but it is masculine. Wisdom is a feminine noun, but not female; it has no physical manifestation at all, so it has no sex, but it does have a gender. The words for G*D act in the same way. Interestingly, one of the oldest names for G*D is Eil-Shadai. Eil, or El, means god (any deity, real or imagined). Shad is an older word meaning breast or mountain. So, Eil-Shadai, one of the oldest names for G*D, actually means "the breasted deity." It means Mother. Stick that into the ears of those who think Judaism is a sexist, anti-woman religion.
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Eloquent Conversationalist
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Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:31 pm
Divash Interestingly, one of the oldest names for G*D is Eil-Shadai. Eil, or El, means god (any deity, real or imagined). Shad is an older word meaning breast or mountain. So, Eil-Shadai, one of the oldest names for G*D, actually means "the breasted deity." It means Mother. Wow! That's cool! I always heard "El Shaddai" roughly translated as "God on high" (which I guess could make some logical sense, if you read the word as "mountain") but what you say actually make a lot more sense now that I think about it.
This makes me want to learn biblical Hebrew.
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 2:17 am
Personally? I have personal evidence leading me to believe that our Creator was genderless.
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Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:08 pm
Cougar Draven Personally? I have personal evidence leading me to believe that our Creator was genderless. That's good for you...
Mind sharing it?
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