Our Mother Who Art...

[TBC: Increasingly, a gender neutral view of God is being taught. In reality, however, neutrality is not possible with the revealed Word of God. Further, it seems that there is far more of an emphasis on "Mother" than "Father." Consider these excerpts from a group called "Christians for Biblical Equality."]

"I think that if you want to in your personal devotions address God as 'Mother' I don't have a problem with that." --T.J. Ostrander, CBE speaker, (quoted verbatim from tape #ACF290: "Sophia Wisdom of God or Goddess of Wisdom"; sold via the CBE web site: www.cbeinternational.org ).

"I believe it is important to call God, 'Mother' as well as 'Father' in public worship." - Paul R. Smith, CBE author (Source: Smith's book, 'Is it Okay to Call God Mother'; p.1; offered via www.cbeinternational.org )

"We sing the words of John W. Peterson in worshipful praise, 'Shepherd of love you knew I had lost my way . . .' Would it be worse or blasphemous, to sing something like 'Mother of love . . .'? Both are figures of speech. But because of our fear of taking on the trappings of radical feminism or goddess worship, we dare not sing those words -- except perhaps in our closets of prayer." -- Ruth Tucker, CBE author (Source: Tucker's book, Women in the Maze; 20-21; www.cbeinternational.org ; See: Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth, Wayne Grudem, Multnomah Publishers, 509-513)

". . . there is a good Biblical reason, then, to speak of God as both Father and Mother, both 'she' and 'he'." -- Richard and Catherine Kroeger, CBE authors; "Women Elders . . . Called by God?" (Catherine Kroeger is one of the founders of CBE; this particular article where she advocates calling God "mother" can be found at: http://firstpresby.org/womenelders/htm ; See: Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth, Wayne Grudem, Multnomah Publishers, 511)

"God, our Mother, we thank you that you love us so much to want the best for us. Thank you for trusting us enough to let us do things on our own…Stay near to us and help us to become all that we can be. Amen." -Jann Aldredge-Clanton, CBE author [(source: Clanton's book: 'God, A Word for Girls and Boys' (p. 23) In the introduction of the book, Jann Aldredge-Clanton writes: Masculine God language hinders many children from establishing relationships of trust with God. In addition, calling God "he" causes boys to commit the sin of arrogance . . . Calling the Supreme power of the universe "he" causes girls to commit the sin of devaluing themselves. For the sake of "these little ones" we must change the way we talk about God and about human beings. (p.11) offered via the CBE web site: www.cbeinternational.org ]

At Cornerstone, an annual festival of the Christian arts, attended by 27,000 evangelical youth, Mimi Haddad, president of the evangelical organization, Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), proposed that God could be called "Mother" as well as "Father". [Source: 'The Feminine Mistake,' Mary Kassian, Crossway Publishers: (p. 287); Source: Julia Bloom, "Biblical Equality Finds a Platform at Rock Festival", (Mutuality, Fall 2002), p.16. Haddad gave a seminar at festival entitled, "Forgotten People, Overlooked Language: Women Leaders and Feminine Images of God."]

"We must resist the implication that God is masculine or that Scripture sanctions patriarchy." --Mimi Haddad, CBE president (Source: What Language Shall We Use; www.cbeinternational.org )

"We may speak of God as Father or as Mother." --Mimi Haddad, CBE president (Source: What Language Shall We Use; www.cbeinternational.org )

http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/Church/feminism/cbe.htm