Gendered God?

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Zeezrom
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Gendered God?

Post by Zeezrom » Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:49 am

My introduction to paganism through my wife has led me to realize the absurdness in some of my automatic assumptions growing up as a Mormon. It now seems such a ridiculous assumption that if there is a being capable of creating the entire universe: they would look just like a human and coincidentally have the exact same gender and genitalia as the founders of the world’s major religions. Wow isn’t that so convenient for male religious leaders that the creator looks just like them!!

And those early mormon leaders take the concept one step further by assuming that in this infinitely higher dimension than us, these gendered gods procreate man to woman/ male genitalia to female genitalia just like us as well. The church adds extra layers by introducing the distinction in phases of existence i.e. intelligence to spirit to human and yet the same process of a male and one or more females conveniently also works to change an intelligence to a spirit.

Now I do remember hearing church leaders saying “oh we don’t think things are quite so messy and vulgar in the CK as down here on Earth and pregnancy won’t be the same etc…” but in that case why seal only men to women or allow men to be sealed to more than one women if there isn’t the thought that procreation works pretty much the same there as here….

The number of crazy assumptions we make about the Creator of the Universe based on man made theology is truly stunning

Gatorbait
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Re: Gendered God?

Post by Gatorbait » Wed Jan 19, 2022 4:39 pm

Very thoughtful and interesting post. Thank you.

For some of us, I'm pretty sure that even when we were youngsters, the idea of one god knowing everyone's thoughts and deeds from the beginning of the universe until now was absurd. The old verbiage in the scriptures about God knowing the hairs on your head and that sort of thing is just plain silly...unless you're counting Oak's hairs- that's easy. Like God doesn't have enough to do so he counts everyone's hairs. Mine started packing up and left the top of my head to set up camp on my ears. Does that count? How about the inside of your nose? Still on your head. (sigh) Must keep God busy in between finding car keys, necklaces and getting us "home in safety" from church. The miracle of the car keys....how worn out is that one? And the treacherous road filled with all sorts of danger from church to home. How silly is that?

The male and female thing in the church was something I'd never been concerned with until I was older and I served as a full time missionary and learned about that sort of thing being church doctrine and all. Can't speak for the rest of you, but I feel that the world still pretty much rolls on who has the power, and those who do are keen to keep themselves in power- for the good of the rest of us of course.

The poor kids born with male and female genitalia is a paradox for the church. Okay, was the baby a he or a she in the pre-mortal existence? Okay, we will choose- male, "he" gets the priesthood and all that goes with that, female, no priesthood. The plot thickens later on if the child is not too keen on mommy and daddy's choice and wants it reversed. (gasp) Now what? Just a problem that cannot be explained away by anyone.

The old and trusted saying of "Don't make assumptions" is a good one to go by any time.
"Let no man count himself righteous who permits a wrong he could avert". N.N. Riddell

dogbite
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Re: Gendered God?

Post by dogbite » Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:38 pm

God reflects its creators.

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Hagoth
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Re: Gendered God?

Post by Hagoth » Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:23 pm

I guess the Bronze Age men who wrote the Bible found it pretty hard to imagine anything more powerful and impressive than a king on a throne who could cause lightning and earthquakes.

If my personal experience counts for anything, I'd have to say that God is a multi-dimensional fractal jellyfish-like being that is bigger than any planet. ;) Or maybe that's just the inside of my brain. Hard to tell.
“The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also.” -Mark Twain

Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." The Buddha: "Be your own light."

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RubinHighlander
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Re: Gendered God?

Post by RubinHighlander » Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:45 am

Hagoth wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:23 pm
I guess the Bronze Age men who wrote the Bible found it pretty hard to imagine anything more powerful and impressive than a king on a throne who could cause lightning and earthquakes.

If my personal experience counts for anything, I'd have to say that God is a multi-dimensional fractal jellyfish-like being that is bigger than any planet. ;) Or maybe that's just the inside of my brain. Hard to tell.
As my grey matter got churned out into the cosmos, I met up with the MDFJFLB a few times. Might just be the FSM in it's many forms. It certainly gets a bit noodly when I enter that realm.
“Sir,' I said to the universe, 'I exist.' 'That,' said the universe, 'creates no sense of obligation in me whatsoever.”
--Douglas Adams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzmYP3PbfXE

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stealthbishop
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Re: Gendered God?

Post by stealthbishop » Mon Jan 24, 2022 8:01 am

Great post. I feel very similar.

However, I think I would normalize this because we don't see the world as it is but as we are. IOW, I think we see through the lens of our biological temperament and our experiences. It's confirmation bias which all of us have. African LDS members depict the First Vision with a Black Joseph Smith and HF and Jesus.

The other thing is that we have inherited a culture of patriarchy which is male-dominant culture. This goes very far back. It is likely why Christianity evolved the way it did since Greco/Roman culture was very patriarchy dominated and Christianity took that form on more and more over time. It was also a pagan culture but when it met up with Judaic monotheism, there could only be room for one at obviously the male god won the day. The message of the historic Jesus was more egalitarian since he believed that women and children in his Judaic tradition were being oppressed by forces of evil and the end of the world was coming. But in the end, the dominant form of Christianity that the LDS inherited was very male-centric and dominant.

So naturally, this is going to impact religious theology in some form or another put also in politics and other areas of life. Doesn't mean we shouldn't change it. But it is a natural process.
"Take second best
Put me to the test
Things on your chest
You need to confess"

-Depeche Mode

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