god's gender

Perhaps you might clarify of which God that you are seeking info? There is a concept of a Christian-Judaic God. There are also references to gods of Greek and Roman and Norse and other mythologies. Some people feel that God is a mythological concept to begin with so it can have any sex anyone pleases.

I know that Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, Zen and other religions have other Supreme Being concepts. Being that you are from So. Asia in India, perhaps you might know more about the concepts you know about God's gender and can explain?

Western civilization has been notoriously sexist/paternalistic and male-oriented with its gender assignments of its key figures. So, perhaps it's ALL mythology anyhow?!

Personally I feel that if there IS a God, then it's unisex...both sexes. After all, IF it created mankind, I feel it's likely to have both genders contained within. Better yet, the term could be called supra-sexual as in above having any genders. After all, it is the Supreme Being.

My god is a she

Well, Montana. Then she makes a mean cup of coffee!

Yup, you bet she does Ragman

Referring to the Christian-Judaic context, God would not have a gender. What on earth, or heaven, would justify a unique being having gender.

Of course, in the Greek pantheon, gender is fairly conspicuous.

I figured I'd make mine a she because most people call God a he, and I figured that I have to at least try to level things out.

I'd be ok with a both gender God, Though.

Would an omnipotent God be influenced by *it's* gender?


...oh, and the bible says God is an old man, unless of course you'd like to interpret that in some fancy-pants way.

You can be old in time; does the word have meaning in eternity?

In some of the anthropological books I read they traced the sex of god back to economics.

Originally, god was female.

Small groups of people would migrate and hunt and gather, owning very little. They were truly egalitarian. Women gathered. Women contributed about 80% of the necessary food. Men hunted, contributing about 20% of the food and were gone a lot. Women discovered horticulture and, hence, were the first agriculturers.

Later, with the practice of agriculture and flocks of farm animals, men were more necessary. They had to protect the "PROPERTY" till the crops could be harvested.

Men had the implements of battle from their hunting days and so began to have more power. This is the beginnings of WAR.

Incidentally, all that accumulated private property had to go to someone after the "owner's" death.

So, we had the beginning of progenitors, or the first SON inheriting everything so the property would not be divided.

That's the beginnings of when women had to be chaste virgins and the beginnings of the concept of marraige, because no man wanted to pass on his property to someone who wasn't his own child.

Incidentally, men did not have to be chaste.

It has nothing to do with men's supposed increased penchant for cheating. It has to do with private property.

Women then also became "PROPERTY."

They were "elevated" as blessed virgins and "fell" from their previous personal power as goddesses and such.

The sex of god is tied to the concept of private property.

At least that's how I remember it. It's been a while since I read all that.

Dupre, that's pretty interesting. Can you name some these books? I'd like to investigate this further.

Well, I read about 200 of them, so remembering exactly which one ... i'd have to go rifle through the shelf.

My favorite ones, Freedom in the Ancient World, not really an anthropology book per se, but close to it. It deals a lot with the growth of religion through the growth of civilization and such ... Herbert Muller. He's a terrific writer. University of Indiana, I think. I did see some used copies of this--well worth the search!--on amazon.com for under $5. Otherwise, you might be able to get one from the university press at Indiana university. They're not supposed to ever go out of print when they are from a university press. I'd have to say, this may be my favorite book of all time. I've read it four times. Really, it's time to read it again, it's been a while.

Also, try Marvin Harris. I liked Our Kind." Harris wrote about 15 books. Was an Anthropology professor in Florida. The one in Gainsville. He's the one who did the important work demonstrating how India's attachment to their "Sacred Cow" is actually based on economics as opposed to religion. His books were so popular and well written that they crossed over from the academic world to the lay person. You can probably pick one up at a very good bookstore. He was very famous and his theories were very well received. Mostly, his theoretical works lend themselves to an interpretation that economics was / is the primary basis for all civilizations. That's pretty simplistic, but ... well ... there it is.

Our Kind is really very funny! I found his works engaging, revealing, humorous, eye-opening, enlightening, soothing, .... just about all the answers to the many questions I ever had ...

If I get time, I go through the books for the best reference for you.

Been awhile since I've seen you arount, too, Dupre. Welcome back, and thanks for the insight.

Hi, Roger!

How are you?

Hey dupre! Great to see ya

Hi, Montana.

I read your thread about abuse from school kids.

You are such a sweetie!

Glad to see you, too!

Thanks dupre. I saw you in a few other threads before this one and was meaning to welcome you back, but my mind has been everywhere these days and I lost track.

You're pretty darn sweet yourself :-D

I had learned that originally inheritance and status were passed down from mother to children, as the parentage of the offspring could only be guaranteed through the mothers line.

In that view, it would have been the male who would have been the proponent of monogamous marriage. After men got their foot in the door as far as legally being the father of any children, it changed over to inheritance through the male line.

I would imagine the change from goddess to god worship happened at the same time. Another reinforcement to the women that the man would be in charge.

God's a bitch . . . is that what you meant?

Female!