Help! I'm a heathen!

[CaDan]

*sarcasm* I did? Shiver me timbers Batman! To the Batmobile Robin! We need to judge and condemn her! */sarcasm*

Seriously, I once made the mistake of referring to God as a She on another MB and was promptly told that I was being blasphemous Yeah right! If that MB really would like to be accurate then we should all refer to God as It, like another poster said-God is genderless. I really do not see Her as getting all upset at how people may refer to Her.

"Gracious God and Loving Mother." Hear it enough times, and the other way seems weird.

I love my parish!

 

[Abiel]

God the Holy Spirit is a woman in Proverbs, Ecclesiasticus and the Wisdom of Solomon (as well as the Apocryphal Odes of Solomon and the Gospel of the Hebrews). As well as one of Jesus' parables in the Gospel of Luke.

God takes on both roles (God has no 'gender', but takes on genderal roles).

Which parable??

I do ask a lot of questions...sorry!!!

 

[Machiavelli]

*sarcasm* I did? Shiver me timbers Batman! To the Batmobile Robin! We need to judge and condemn her! */sarcasm*

Seriously, I once made the mistake of referring to God as a She on another MB and was promptly told that I was being blasphemous Yeah right! If that MB really would like to be accurate then we should all refer to God as It, like another poster said-God is genderless. I really do not see Her as getting all upset at how people may refer to Her.

Perhaps it would be good to stop playing the martyr. Fewer people care than what you may think ...

Sometimes when people refer to God as "She", they are doing it to attract attention. At other times, it may used as a vehicle to promote a feminist agenda. I'm not exactly sure which category (if any) you fit into, but if you're trying to provoke a reaction, I am sure that there are better ways to do this.

Any title which we try to attach to God is fundamentally meaningless. Think about it - as soon as we attach a label/title, we put God into our own custom-fit box. To call God "Holy" is definitely true, but do we understand what we are saying when we say this? Or call God merciful, loving, vengeful, etc. When we use these titles, we instantly think of these qualities when applied to human behaviour, not an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God. Thus, we can only think of these titles as pale comparisons to describe to our feeble human minds about what God is like, rather than what God is.

 

[artybloke]

All God-language is, by its nature, metaphorical. Has to be, God is not contained any more by human language than by anything else: God is She/He/It, God is love, God is Father/Mother/Brother/Sister, God is breath, wind, fire, ice, water. And God is not these things. God is wholly other. God is close, God is distant. God is in us, God is outside of us. God is everywhere, God is nowhere.

God just is.

 

[Machiavelli]

All God-language is, by its nature, metaphorical. Has to be, God is not contained any more by human language than by anything else: God is She/He/It, God is love, God is Father/Mother/Brother/Sister, God is breath, wind, fire, ice, water. And God is not these things. God is wholly other. God is close, God is distant. God is in us, God is outside of us. God is everywhere, God is nowhere.

God just is.

Indeed. I hear you brother ...

The more we know about God, the more we know we don't know. But thankfully, we know enough ...

 

[kbmccor]

I am politically liberal. I absolutely can't stand Bush. I believe that the gay marriage amendment idea is ludicrous and terribly wrong. I am pro-choice. My problem is that the Christians that I know believe that I can not be a Christian and also have liberal beliefs. Even my born again husband puts me down and says stuff like "you either follow the map (the Bible) or you don't." My husband's best friend doesn't come here anymore after he found out the I go to a United Church of Christ. I get really depressed trying to rationalize my political beliefs with my faith in God. Does anyone have any encouraging words or advice?

I have the same political views as you. I also was "turned away" by my christian friends because i believe in equality and unconditional love. This link helped me-tcpc.org. i hope it helps you too. It shows that you're not alone in your beliefs and that there is nothing wrong with your values.

 

[kbmccor]

It's salvation by works ALL OVER AGAIN!

Yes, folks, you saw it here first. Two thousand years after Jesus finally got people to understand that we were not saved through "being righteous", because NONE of us were righteous enough, we have finally successfully reinvented the holiness code! Once again, there are people who are "not good enough", people who cannot be saved because they are unclean, because they do not say the right magic words. Love for Christ is not enough. Letting Him fill you with the kind of righteousness He preached is not enough. If you aren't out there holding right-wing political positions, HELL FOR YOU!

The Pharisees are back in town, and ready to kick some butts! Represent!

oh that made me smile. i love this forum!

 

[kbmccor]

"Gracious God and Loving Mother." Hear it enough times, and the other way seems weird.

I love my parish!

what kind of church do you go to, out of curiosity?

 

[CaDan]

Perhaps it would be good to stop playing the martyr. Fewer people care than what you may think ...

I care.

Sometimes when people refer to God as "She", they are doing it to attract attention. At other times, it may used as a vehicle to promote a feminist agenda. I'm not exactly sure which category (if any) you fit into, but if you're trying to provoke a reaction, I am sure that there are better ways to do this.

Yup and yup. And good faith belief that God is our Mother.

Any title which we try to attach to God is fundamentally meaningless. Think about it - as soon as we attach a label/title, we put God into our own custom-fit box. To call God "Holy" is definitely true, but do we understand what we are saying when we say this? Or call God merciful, loving, vengeful, etc. When we use these titles, we instantly think of these qualities when applied to human behaviour, not an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God. Thus, we can only think of these titles as pale comparisons to describe to our feeble human minds about what God is like, rather than what God is.

The labels are not meaningless to us.

 

[CaDan]

what kind of church do you go to, out of curiosity?

Catholic. Think Dorothy Day and Catholic Workers.

We have had a priest in federal prison for protesting at the Army School of the Americas. Go Father Roy!

 

[Crazy Liz]

It's salvation by works ALL OVER AGAIN!

Yes, folks, you saw it here first. Two thousand years after Jesus finally got people to understand that we were not saved through "being righteous", because NONE of us were righteous enough, we have finally successfully reinvented the holiness code! Once again, there are people who are "not good enough", people who cannot be saved because they are unclean, because they do not say the right magic words. Love for Christ is not enough. Letting Him fill you with the kind of righteousness He preached is not enough. If you aren't out there holding right-wing political positions, HELL FOR YOU!

The Pharisees are back in town, and ready to kick some butts! Represent!

Those Pharisees. Man, always playin' games with the ice cream.

First, they're all like, "Free Ice Cream." But then they're like, "But first you have to watch this educational video." And you're all like, "But you said 'Free Ice Cream.'" And they're all like, "But we can't just give away ice cream. It is too yummy and delicious." And you're all like, "Man, that's a rip off. You lied to me." And they're all like, "It wasn't a lie. We're not charging any MONEY for the ice cream." And you're all like, "That doesn't seem right." And they're all like, "Looks like you're too dumb if you can't understand a simple thing like ADVERTISING." And you're all like, "I just wanted some ice cream." And they're all like, "Go away. No ice cream for you."

And then you look and they don't even have any ice cream. All they have is that crappy Italian Ice stuff that isn't anything like ice cream.

That's what I think of Pharisees.

Posts worthy of thread necromancy.

 

[CaDan]

Whoah . . .

 

[Thornicus]

I am politically liberal. I absolutely can't stand Bush. I believe that the gay marriage amendment idea is ludicrous and terribly wrong. I am pro-choice. My problem is that the Christians that I know believe that I can not be a Christian and also have liberal beliefs. Even my born again husband puts me down and says stuff like "you either follow the map (the Bible) or you don't." My husband's best friend doesn't come here anymore after he found out the I go to a United Church of Christ. I get really depressed trying to rationalize my political beliefs with my faith in God. Does anyone have any encouraging words or advice?

I agree with your husband, so I probably can't be of much help.

UCC is very far from Biblical Christianity...

 

[Evergreen48]

I agree with your husband, so I probably can't be of much help.

UCC is very far from Biblical Christianity...

 

[redheadmt]

It's almost four years later and I have an interesting, yet tragic update to my original thread.

First, my husband has become much more tolerant throughout our marriage. I think just being around new people (my family and friends) and new ideas (mine, my family, and friends) and coming out of his narrow pre-redhead (me) world has really opened his mind.

This friend that I spoke of who thought of the UCC as being a "black" or evil church was the most aggressive bible thumper that I have ever met in my life. Just about everyone he ever met was going to spend an eternity in hellfire. He would spew hatred about people who are homosexual. I always wondered why a heterosexual married man worried so much about homosexuality. It never made sense to me. This man also objected to me drinking beer when he would come visit us at OUR home. Not his home, our home and I wasn't "allowed" to drink a beer when he visited.

He used to come over and ask my kids "what has Jesus done for you today?" or something to that effect.

I would also like to add that this friend of my husband's always gave me the creeps BIG TIME.

This man is now serving a ten year prison sentence for abduction and rape of a ten year old girl. For some reason they reduced the charge of rape down to three counts of "gross sexual imposition." There are other cases pending against him. His wife babysat children for the past 28 years and all of the people who were ever babysat by her are being interviewed. She would leave the kids with him while she went to the grocery store, etc. He is 57 years old and will most likely be in prison for the rest of his life.

I've always suspected that the most obnoxious and hateful bible thumpers are trying to hide something, and in this case I was right.

 

[plmarquette]

a lot of folks though Jesus and his crew were a few bricks short of a
full load also....

grow where you are planted.....

some folks on another part of this forum thought I am a hateful old fart
for disagreeing that Obamma is the second coming .... & wondering how
one can be a "christian & a democrat..."

we all have our quirks and "dances" ... it is ok ..... we all are His kids
and if He don't have a problem with us ... who are they to find fault
with us ...?

some blame bush....rod blagovich... etc. but it is congress that makes the laws
and sets the standard for the country, to protect the individual from the
oppression of those in positions of authority .... who have fallen down on the job
quite often... using the president and governors for "the scape goat for their flaws"

 

[Tamam]

I don't believe our politics make us any less saved although I believe our politics do make us more or less in the truth.

To me the truth of abortion is if anyone willfully stops the beating of a human heart it is murder.

There is truth in the scriptures and this truth will make you free. If you hold not to the truth you are less free.


Jhn 8:31 ¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, [then] are ye my disciples indeed;

Jhn 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God. (Psalm 22:9-10).

Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb… (Isaiah 44:1-2)

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.

Exodus 21:22-25. If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.


Luk 1:44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe [not fetus, or blob, or cluster of cells] leaped in my womb for joy.

 

[Loki]

Wow, I remember when this thread was new. Good to hear your marriage is better, sorry to hear the mean guy was actually a really really bad guy.