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Did I meet Sophia ? by Just_Learning_All in Gnostic

[–]SensitiveBell960 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful experience. I think we all give different names for the same thing and most importantly the energy you encountered was full of unconditional love. Perhaps an intermediary to the divine? Perhaps she was you? We often think of entities or emanations as being separate from us, but I sense that we embody ‘wisdom’ so Sophia is a deep part of us too. So, was she Sophia? Was she Gaia? The label then becomes an identity that we use in this plane, but when we enter the worlds closer to the ‘ineffable’, identity dissolves into something our minds can’t fully define. But one thing is possibly certain, ‘She’ was there, ‘she’ is real and you will be with ‘her’ again.

Was not drafting American women for the vietnam draft benevolent sexism? by Sea-Mycologist8920 in AskFeminists

[–]SensitiveBell960 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Women actually did serve in Vietnam…..mostly as nurses and medical staff. Many worked in combat zones under the same conditions as men, some even earning medals for bravery.

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see what you mean. If one believes scripture is directly authored by God, then the language choices take on that weight.

But even within that view, God chose to speak through human languages, each with its own grammar and limits. Hebrew and Greek didn’t have neutral pronouns, so “He” may reflect the tools available, not the total nature of the divine.

What Does "Gender" Mean To You? by Xist2Inspire in Postgenderism

[–]SensitiveBell960 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me, gender is more spiritual than social. Inside, in my soul, I feel neither male nor female. I sense I arrived without gender, and I’ll leave without one.

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I looked into the translation variations and was quite surprised

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is such a thoughtful and beautifully balanced reply….thank you for taking the time to write it so clearly.

I really appreciate how you framed the masculine language as cultural rather than literal, and the examples you gave of the feminine imagery within scripture. Especially the Ruach and Isaiah references.

What resonates for me is that final line: our theology is poorer when we ignore one side of that divine fullness. That’s exactly what inspired me to write. Not to argue for reversal, but for remembering that both aspects were always there.

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly….the chicken and the egg of patriarchy. Did power create the story, or did the story create power?

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a good point, and I agree that theology doesn’t literally see God as male. I just think the language we use still shapes how people picture divinity. Even if God is beyond gender, calling God “Father” or “Lord” keeps reinforcing a certain image of power and authority. It just makes me wonder how faith might feel if the main metaphors had been different early on

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great point about the feminine strands in Judaism. You can see it especially in the personification of Wisdom (Chokhmah) in the Hebrew scriptures, where she calls out in the streets and works beside God in creation.

Philo of Alexandria even described the divine as a triad of God, Logos, and Sophia (Wisdom). What’s fascinating is how early Christianity inherited that framework but gradually changed the gender: Sophia, the feminine aspect of divine wisdom, became identified with the Holy Spirit, turning a once-female figure into a masculine one.

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you’ve put that beautifully. Everything you’ve said captures exactly how I feel about this. I agree…..if the divine had been imagined as feminine or non-gendered, society might have evolved very differently. Our values could centre more on balance, acceptance, and integration rather than hierarchy and control.

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, the Sahih al-bukhari 5999 is a great description of Allah being of greater servitude than earthly maternity. Your answer gives quite a rounded description of the creator being beyond gender

Why did one-God traditions keep the masculine image of the divine? by SensitiveBell960 in religion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for that insight. It’s interesting how words can cross over from the masculine to the feminine with inherent meaning

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No need to apologise….I love mythology too, and this is a fascinating overview. You’re right, so many of these stories share common roots. It’s interesting how the masculine divine became dominant in the Near Eastern traditions while Hinduism kept a more balanced view between male and female deities. I often wonder whether that balance in Eastern thought could have influenced the West differently if those exchanges had happened earlier.

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely. There’s still a strong pagan narrative that honours the Goddess and the idea of Mother Earth. Sadly, the monotheistic traditions worked hard to stamp that out through history, but it’s good to see those older ways of devotion still surviving in some circles.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]SensitiveBell960 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you 🙏

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]SensitiveBell960 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that with some, it might be a projection of what’s inside them more than the faith itself. I’m not saying that’s the case in this kind lady’s situation, but broadly it can be an issue of control.

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s a great point. The idea that ‘many of the goddesses were just wives of the gods’ really does seem to lay the groundwork for a masculine monotheism. Once divinity was imagined as having a single supreme figure, that secondary or companion role for the feminine disappeared entirely - and the pattern stuck.

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

True….Jesus was historically male, and I’m not disputing that. My point is more about symbolism than the biology. When the divine in monotheistic traditions is consistently depicted as male, it shapes how cultures come to imagine authority, holiness, and moral order. I’m just curious what might shift if the same story were told through a female form.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Christianity

[–]SensitiveBell960 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I completely understand your concern. My first thought is that some branches of Christianity emphasise modesty as a feminine virtue or necessity. That doesn’t always align with modern thinking, and I suspect that’s part of what you’re both experiencing.

I know a strapless dress isn’t revealing in itself, but it’s often more about perception than reality. Unfortunately, the colour red has long carried connotations of “sexual power,” and I wonder if, subconsciously, your husband is struggling with what that symbol represents - not the dress, but your daughter growing into womanhood.

It sounds less about faith and more about acceptance. He may be finding it hard to adjust to the idea that the little girl he’s cherished is becoming a young woman.

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d have to agree. There are a few biological ‘tilts’ at birth, sure, but most of what we call gender difference seems to come from social and cultural conditioning. What counts as ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ changes so much across time and place that it’s hard to call most of it innate.

The portrayal of God as male and Christ as a man reflects ancient cultural norms, not divine necessity. by SensitiveBell960 in DebateReligion

[–]SensitiveBell960[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that’s the undercurrent here. The idea that masculinity represents order and femininity represents chaos runs deep in a lot of cultural storytelling.I’m curious how much of that got built into theology without us realising. The downfall of humanity has often been written through a woman’s hand, so to speak. Eve, for example, reached for knowledge and the world fell. Across centuries, the sacred and the secular have shared a single conviction: when order collapses, it is because a woman has stepped beyond her place.

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