Why God Is a He
Is God a man, a woman, or a genderless force that cannot be identified by masculine or feminine traits? Society offers a range of ideas, but what do religious texts have to say about this immutable characteristic of God? Dennis Prager offers some insightful answers.
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The Bible is preoccupied with making a kinder, less violent, more just world.
TrueFalseGod _________.
is feminineis masculineis neutertranscends genderTo transform a wild boy into a good man, a _____ role model is as necessary as a male rule-giver.
femalemalecommunitygovernmentThe problem of mayhem and violence is _________________.
a fabricationrooted in capitalismeasily solved by a loving motheroverwhelmingly a male oneWho will suffer most from lawless males?
WomenMenChristiansNone of the above.
- The Hebrew Bible’s description of God as male helps promote a kinder, less violent, more just world.
While God transcends gender, God is consistently depicted as male in the Bible.
View sourceThere are no neuter nouns in Hebrew, so there are only two choices for God’s gender as described in the Hebrew Bible: he or she.
View sourceEven if the neuter existed in Hebrew, describing God as “it” would make God impersonal and unrelatable.
View sourceThe Bible’s depiction of God in male terms is crucial in that both males and females respond well to a male authority figure in the role of protector and rule-giver.
View sourceRelated reading: “The Ten Commandments: What You Should Know” – Dennis Prager
View source- Without a father or some other male rule-giver, young men are far more likely to do great harm to others and themselves.
As President Barack Obama told an audience in 2008, “Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of schools and twenty times more likely to end up in prison.”
View sourceDr. Alvin Poussaint, a psychiatrist with Harvard Medical School, said, “The absence of fathers corresponds with a host of social ills, including dropping out of school and serving time in jail.”
View sourcePeople are drawn to following male authority, in the family and in houses of worship.
View sourceAccording to Psychiatry Professor Rolf Loeber, “A close and intense relationship between a boy and his father prevents hostility and inappropriate aggressiveness.”
View sourceBoys are affected more by fatherlessness than girls.
View sourceWhen boys have no father to connect with, they will turn to alternative sources of acceptance, such as gangs.
View source- Girls, like boys, are more likely to obey a male authority figure. More than half of female inmates come from father-absent homes.
A report released by the Minnesota Psychological Association concluded: “In a study of female inmates, more than half came from a father-absent home.”
View sourceWhen a father leaves the home, his daughter is at greater risk of teenage pregnancy.
View sourceIn the Bible, God presents himself as a “father of the fatherless and protector of widows.”
View sourceGod is the ultimate protector; women and girls desire and need protection.
View sourceRelated reading: “The Real Root Causes of Violent Crime: The Breakdown of Marriage, Family, and Community” – The Heritage Foundation
View source- As the ultimate authority figure, God is best understood as masculine and a father.
God is a lawgiver and his commandments and authority stand above all other men, kings, and governments.
View sourceGod is a creator and upholder of divine order, filling the role of a father to all of creation.
View sourceAccording to Dennis Prager, “first and foremost, the Judeo-Christian God is a moral ruler (giver of moral rules and moral judge of humanity), and neither men nor women want to be given rules or ruled by a woman.”
View sourceGod’s role as father goes hand in hand with his other roles as judge, king, and master.
View sourceWATCH: “If There Is No God, Murder Isn’t Wrong” – Dennis Prager
View source
One of the criticisms many people make against the Bible is that it depicts God in male terms. The most obvious example is God is referred to as "He." Why did the Bible do this?
Well, here's the answer: Because the Bible is preoccupied with making a kinder, less violent, more just world. If you share these goals – and I suspect you do – then you'll have to agree the Bible made the right decision.
Before I explain, I need to add an obvious caveat: The God of the Bible is neither male nor female. God transcends gender. What I'm talking about here is why God is depicted in male terms in the Bible.
Gender-wise, the Bible had three choices: masculine – "he"; feminine – "she"; or neuter – "it."
We can readily rule out neuter. For one thing, neuter nouns don't exist in Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament – which, after all, first introduced this God to us. For another, the biblical God is a personal God to whom we can – and must--relate. And we cannot relate to, let alone obey or love, an "It."
Aside from the language issue, the Bible depicts God in masculine terms because:
One: The Hebrew Bible's primary concern is making a good world.
Two: A good world can only be achieved by making good people.
And three: The people who commit nearly all the world's violence are males.
Therefore, it is in both men's and women's interests to depict God in the masculine.
Here's why:
Without a father or some other male rule-giver, young men are likely to do great harm. If there is no male authority figure to give a growing boy rules, it is very difficult for him to control his wilder impulses.
As President Barack Obama told an audience in 2008, "Children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, nine times more likely to drop out of school, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison." Commenting on that speech, Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a psychiatrist with Harvard Medical School, confirmed these statistics: "The absence of fathers corresponds with a host of social ills, including dropping out of school and serving time in jail."
In other words, if one's primary goal is a good world – specifically, a world with far less murder, child abuse, theft, and rape--a God depicted in masculine terms (a Father in Heaven), not a goddess (a Mother in Heaven), must be the source of moral commands such as "Do not murder" and "Do not steal."
If the father figure/rule-giver that boys need is not on Earth, a morally authoritative masculine God can serve as an effective substitute. Any discomfort you might feel with a masculine depiction of God is not comparable to the pain we will all feel if boys are not civilized into good men.
To transform a wild boy into a good man, a male role model is as necessary as a male rule-giver. So, when the Bible depicts God as merciful, compassionate, and caring for the poor and the widow, it is not so much interested in describing God as in providing a model for humans, especially males, to emulate.
If God were depicted as female, young men would deem traits such as compassion, mercy, and care for the downtrodden as feminine and would not identify with them. But if God, their Father in Heaven, who is strong – on occasion, even a warrior – cares for the poor and loves justice, mercy, and kindness, then these traits are also masculine and to be emulated.
The argument that girls equally need female role models to avoid violence is objectively not true – because the problem of mayhem and violence is overwhelmingly a male one. Of course, girls need female role models, but not to avoid violence.
And, like boys, girls are more likely to obey a male authority figure. A report released by the Minnesota Psychological Association concluded: "In a study of female inmates, more than half came from a father-absent home."
It is therefore ironic that some women are attempting to render the God of Western religious morality less masculine. Because if their goal is achieved, it is women who will suffer most from lawless males.
We have too many absent fathers on Earth to begin to even entertain the thought of having no Father in Heaven.
I'm Dennis Prager.
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