After over 30 years of attempting to make God gender-neutral, it seems that feminists in Sweden have succeeded. Starting on May 20th of 2018, clergy members will have to use gender-neutral language when referring to God, no longer calling God "he" or "Lord." Many Swedish people support the decision by the church to make God gender-neutral. Archbishop Antje Jackelén, the female church leader in Sweden, supports the move to make God gender-neutral, stating that "Theologically, for instance, we know that God is beyond our gender determinations, God is not human." Others vehemently oppose the new policy. Christer Pahlmblad, an associate theology professor at Lund University, thinks that the move to make God gender-neutral is “undermining the doctrine of the Trinity and the community with the other Christian churches.”
The move to make God gender-neutral shows a lack of understanding of the Bible and is totally insane. It's an example of modern churches prioritizing pushing a narrative that they want over what the Bible actually says and enacting the will of God. No true Christian would ever support a decision to use gender-neutral language in the name of gender equality and here are 6 reasons why.
1. Man was made in God's image.
In chapter one of the book of Genesis, verse 27 states "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." This verse states that God made Adam in the form of God. Because man has two legs with a penis in between them, we can infer that God does also.
Some people argue that because the verse mentions both males and females, females are also made in the image of God and the verse doesn't mean that God looks like a man, but that is a misreading of the verse and ignores the context of the story. The verse says that man was created in the image of God and then in a different independent clause, separated by a semicolon, it then states that God created males and females.
We know that God created man in his own image and then later on he took Adam's rib and created Eve. He didn't create them both at the same time, but rather he made man in his image and then made a female version later on based on man. The seventh and eighth verses of the 11th chapter of 1st Corinthians affirms this interpretation of the verse for it says "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man." This establishes that man was created in the image of God and that woman was made in the image of man but with some alterations.
2. The Bible refers to God as He.
I don't think this one needs an explanation but because the Bible refers to God as "He" it can be assumed that God is male.
3. God is Jesus' Father.
In the New Testament, Jesus repeatedly refers to God as his father. Now I don't know about your father, but my father is a male and so is God according to Jesus.
4. The Bible is not for gender equality.
The move to make God gender-neutral was done in the name of being inclusive and in the name of gender equality. While Jesus did advocate for being inclusive, the Bible is very clear that males and females are not equal. Genesis 3:16 establishes that man should rule woman and 1st Timothy 2:12 states "But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
Now, to be clear, I'm not saying that women belong in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant I'm just saying that gender equality is not necessarily a Christian value and that making God gender-neutral in the name of gender equality doesn't make rational sense for a true Christian because gender equality is not a biblical value and in fact contradicts the word of God.
5. It is insulting to God.
While referring to God only in gender-neutral terms may not be offensive to him if done correctly, such as always referring to God as God rather than by masculine pronouns, if done incorrectly (i.e. referring to God as both he and she) then this could be insulting to Him. I know if people called me a she I'd be pretty pissed and because God can become upset and angry then referring to him as male and female may piss him off as well.
6. It leads to a slippery slope.
If we allow feminists to make God gender-neutral, where does it end? Do we start calling God a she like the Church of England wants to? Do we make female versions of Jesus? If the Bible is wrong about God's gender then what else is the Bible wrong about? If we "fix" God's gender by making him gender-neutral then what other edits to the word of God are allowed? If a Christian doubts that God is the father of Jesus then how can they really be a Christian?
This move to make God gender-neutral opens the door to a whole mess of issues that undermine Biblical values because it prioritizes people's feelings on gender equality over what the Bible actually says, and so this move to make God gender-neutral is an attack on Christianity itself.
