[HANASHIR:8295] Re: Gender-balanced prayers

[Freedabet <Freedabet...>]

I suppose it depends on what you mean by 'balanced.'  Hebrew is very 
gender-aware, and most of the references to God are male, but some have 
female aspects.  I think that the numerous references to God as a male are 
significant, particularly to males as they mature, and that we lose some of 
the power of Judaism to positively influence the lives of children if we 
dilute this 'father' factor with gender-neutral or alternating references to 
God as male and then female.  (In large part from Dennis Prager's taped 
lectures on Genesis).

My idea of a 'balanced' approach would be to reflect the percentages of such 
references in the Torah, which are overwhelmingly male, and I think for good 
reason.


Michael

-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Tuesday, 20-Feb-01 04:09 PM
> 
> From: Ros Schwartz             \ Internet:    (rs4 (at) 
> post(dot)queensu(dot)ca)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
> 
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:8282] Re: Gender-balanced prayers
> 
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> There is a difference between "gender-neutral", which tries to avoid 
> gendered references altogether, and "gender-balanced" or 
> "gender-sensitive", which acknowledges that gendered references may at 
> times be appropriate - but should be used in a balanced fashion, and 
> only when they enhance the understanding of a particular concept.
> 
> God is neither male nor female, but we sometimes need anthropomorphic 
> images to help us understand what is beyond human comprehension.  (In my 
> opinion) it is valid to explore both the feminine and the masculine 
> aspects of God - as long as this is done in a _balanced_ ratio - and 
> with the awareness that our human imagery, with our limited human 
> understanding, is necessarily incomplete.
> 
> - Ros
> 
> Jonathan Gordon wrote:
> 
> >> okay. here's another question, tho related. in gender sensitive 
prayerbooks
> >> and materials we happily expunge words like lord, and the pronoun he,
> although
> >> the actual hebrew is exactly that. but we leave in sabbath queen and 
exalt
> the
> >> feminine side of sh'chinah. anybody have a problem here?  if its good for
> the
> >> goose, is it good for the gander?  i am personally unsettled with the
> >> un-sexing of liturgy, but wish to be free of oppresive modelling. what do
> you
> >> folks think?
> > 
> > 
> > jonathan gordon
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------

------------------------ hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org -----------------------+