Is God Male or Female?

Glenn's sayings;

Is God Male or Female?

From talking to people who stated that God in the bible is referred to as a male and for this reason they refused to read "The Shack" or view the movie because it portrayed God as a aunt Jemima black woman.

Such reasoning can be a result of a theology that justifies the exclusion of women from positions of authority in the "Church" by affirming God’s maleness by claiming  that Christianity has a “decidedly masculine feel”, as preachers have done. According to Wikipedia "Complementarianism" is a theological view held by some in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, and elsewhere (such as  the religious system)...brackets mine. The word "complementary"  and its cognates are currently used to denote this view. For some Christians whose complementarian view is biblical-prescribed, these separate roles preclude women from specific functions of ministry within the community. Though women may be precluded from certain roles and ministries they are held to be equal in moral value and of equal status. The phrase used to describe this is 'Ontologically equal, Functionally different".

"Complementarians assign primary headship roles to men and support roles to women—based on their interpretation of certain biblical passages. One of the precepts of Complementarianism is that while women may assist in the decision-making process, the ultimate authority for the decision is ascribed to the male in churches subscribing to this view." End quote.

The contrasting of "The Shack" with the view that maintains positions of authority and responsibility in marriage, religion and business should be...egalitarian...equally available to females as well as males, and 'male chauvinism'...a generalized bias that in most situations men are of significantly greater value than women.   That this is still a belief in our day strains credulity, but some denominations continue to insist on relegating women to second-class status.

Therefore one reason that many Christian's are spewing vicious attacks against "The Shack" is that God is portrayed as a black woman. Could they be baptizing their attacks in fallible man-interpreted Scripture?

It is  clear in Scripture that God is portrayed as both male and female. Even Jesus, as the incarnation of divine wisdom, is female according to Proverbs chapt. 8-9 and male according to John chapt, 1. So is it heresy to portray God as a woman...not unless it is also heresy to portray God as a man! Because in actual fact...He is neither! The bible states that "God is NOT MAN that He should lie".

Let's take a look at other places in the bible where female images of God are stated

Genesis 1:27 Women and Men created in God’s image and, not only the image of male of female...but also as animals!

Humankind was created as a reflection of God: "in the divine image God created them; female and male, God made them.”

Hosea 13:8 God described as a mother bear

“Like a bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and tear them asunder…”

Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God described as a mother eagle

“Like the eagle that stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young, God spreads wings to catch you, and carries you on pinions.”

Deuteronomy 32:18 describes God as giving birth.

“You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”

Isaiah 66:13 God as a comforting mother

God: “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

Isaiah 49:15 God compared to a nursing mother

God: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”

Isaiah 42:14 God as a woman in labor

God: “For a long time I have held my peace, I have kept myself still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor, I will gasp and pant.”

Psalm 131:2 God as a Mother

“But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”

Psalm 123:2-3 God compared to a woman

“As the eyes of a servant looks to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to you, YHWH, until you show us your mercy!”

Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 God as a Mother Hen

Jesus: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Luke 15:8-10 God as woman looking for her lost coin

Jesus said: “Or what woman having ten silver coins, is she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

God is a father to the fatherless, a mother to the motherless, a sister to the sister-less, a brother to the brother-less, a husband to the husband-less and a wife to the wifeless. How can this be you ask...God's ways are FAR ABOVE humanities ability to understand and is neither male or female.