Yes, of course George prefers not to answer the questions, because he clearly knows that he is in a defenseless position (or maybe he is waiting for one of his buddies to come to his rescue) :-)
Let me make it clear upfrount to our readers that I have nothing against George nor have I had any prior squabbles with him.
I, however, note with curiosity that instead of plainly telling this forum about his �real� gripes and grievances, he is hiding behind the curtain and shooting flimsy questions -- such why God cannot be a Mother (or woman).
The man is a Catholic, and more so an educated, intelligent individual, who thrives on throwing up �smoke screens� for the audience to believe he is an avid warrior for women�s rights within the Catholic Church.
This tirade of his is actually not new; it may look new, to new comers on this net. There are of course reasons why George is vociferously speaking against the Church. Now, I would be really amused if he said that he is speaking up for the women and against whatever (purported) discrimination by the Catholic Church. Well, I can tell you this much, -- the women (at least from the material they post on this forum) are highly intelligent and capable of fending for themselves �- they surely don�t need George�s or anyone�s help in this regard.
Now coming to the question, I asked my six year old, why God should be called �Father� and not �Mother,� and the answer promptly came: Did Jesus not teach us to call God our Father? So we pray The Lord�s Prayer: �Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name��
Thus, in 'The Lord's Prayer,' Jesus calls upon us to draw near to God who is beyond human understanding, who dwells in mystery �- who is all Holy. So we call God "Our Father".
Calling God "Father" does not in any way mean that God is masculine. God is beyond the categories of gender of masculine or feminine. No human descriptions of God are adequate, and God cannot be fully known by us. By calling God "Father" we are more appropriately revealing our relationship with God.
Jesus has taught us that we have a filial relationship with God. God sees us as his daughter or son, and we look upon Him as a loving Father. And so we can approach God in the familiar confident way as a child approaches a caring, loving parent.
So much for that question, George!
It is truly upsetting, that some educated people like George bring flimsy arguments on the net and just hijack Goanet, with some of their unnecessary, unwarranted and antagonizing posts, and this is NOT doing anyone any good.
Again, I have nothing personal against George, but I am astounded by his prejudices which are amply evident through his recent and past provocative posts.
I believe George has a bone to pick with the Vatican, to further his cause/s (I don�t think equality for women or advocating for women priests in Catholic Church was one of them). :-)
Best wishes,
Joe Vaz
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George Pinto <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I will not respond to the personal ad hominem attacks in the email below.
Regards, George
Prof. George:
Are you a Christian/Catholic? If your answer is yes, you should be ashamed of yourself/your claim to be a Christian/Catholic, and yet NOT know the answers to the questions you pose above. Or are you blindly following a faith for which you have no respect, if (in fact) that is your claim?
If your answer is �No� i.e. you are NOT a Christian/Catholic, many on this forum who are, including myself, will be glad to answer you.
Regards,
Joe Vaz
PS: You seem to be making a mockery of a faith and/or insulting the intelligence of those who are silently taking your tacit by foxy abuse.
George Pinto initially wrote:
Fr Ivo
A couple of questions:
1. Is God male, hence father?
2. Is God a white European male like most racist pictures depict him to be?
3. If God is beyond gender, why refer to God as father?
4. If "father" is merely use of language and does not detract from Creator, why not "Mother"?
Regards, George
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