...the gender of God
What the People say about...
By Andre Haynes
Stabroek News
July 28, 2003
During the course of the last week one of our readers wrote a letter in which he severely criticised a columnist for his portrayal of God as a feminine deity. This week, we asked members of the public for their thoughts about God’s gender.
Onika Harry - receptionist: `We all have this image of God as a man. That is what I was brought up believing. That is what I know, that there is someone who is God. But now, to say if God is a man or woman, I don’t know. People say God is a man. They say that we go to him, to our father. The Bible tells of Mary, God’s mother giving birth to a male child named Jesus. I think that is proof that God is a man. I still try to imagine what he looks like, what the father looks like, but there isn’t a picture in my head that I think might resemble God.’
Sebastian Harrichand - mechanic: ‘I have no idea what God looks like but I don’t think God can be a woman. God couldn’t be a woman. Jesus was a man. Mary was Jesus’ mother. So who is Jesus’ father? A man. Exactly. So God is a man.’
Norma Norville - housewife: `God is a spirit, he isn’t male or female. He is more than that, he is everything. He is almighty, he is all powerful and anything that you think he is. God is an all-rounder, he can be anything.’
Wazir Khalil - self-employed: `I would probably have to say that God is a man. I don’t know if I’m right or wrong because I don’t know what God looks like. I’ve tried to imagine who God is but I can’t. But most people usually say `The man upstairs know everything that is going on,’ which is why I would say that God is probably a man. But it is possible that God is a woman, nothing is impossible. Still, according to my mother, God is a man.’
Grace Perry - economic research officer: `He is a man. God is the Trinity, he is the father, the son and the holy spirit. According to the biblical scriptures God is a man...It says when “He walked the earth.” He is a man. And not only is he a man, he is a perfect man. As for what he looks like, because of movies a lot of people think that God is a white man with blond hair and blue eyes. Because they’ve grown up seeing that image that is what some people see in their mind’s eye when they pray. But according to the scriptures, [Jesus, the son] came from the line of David, he had bronze skin and kinky hair, which is more associated with people of African descent.’
Maria Daniels - housewife: `God is a man and men control everything. And women... women are second to them. Saying God is a woman is wrong. It is my own belief that God is a man, but even in the Bible God is always described as “He.” I’ve never heard about “She” ever being used to describe God.’
Douglas Waldron - public sector employee: `God is male. I’ve seen the images on the cross and they all show a man. God is not a woman, although some people can believe that. That is their opinion, their belief and they are entitled to it. If they say God is a woman, it is no more right or wrong than my opinion. But let me point out to you that people say “Father God,” and father is not a female. Father is a male.’
Andrea Williams - teacher: `I see God as a male being... The prayer begins: `Our father who art in heaven....’ I just imagined that God being father, Son and Holy Spirit, he has to be male. I’ve tried to imagine God but I can’t get a proper picture in my head because of all the movies on television where you see him as a white man with long blonde hair and blue eyes and long features. I’ve come to just imagine God as being someone who is all powerful and almighty, my saviour. I’ve never thought of God as a woman.’
Andrew Phillips - carpenter: `God created man in the image and likeness of himself. So God is a man. Some people can say that God is anything, they can say he is the road, they can say he is a woman, everybody may have their own image of what he looks like. Although I think that they should look at God as a man, and even unto to today men are the leaders of the world and the household.’
Sean Hughes - self-employed: `I imagine God as a man, because men are the creators. I don’t think God could ever be a woman. Women may even bring life into the world, but not without men. They would never be able to create life without men.’
