C’mon, it’s okay. You can acknowledge it. Half the population of your planet has that
problem, and for largely the same reason: they see God as a kind of “parent.” They imagine
I’m going to be like their mother or father.
Well, You are called “God the Father.”
Yes, and whoever came up with that should be ashamed.
I believe it was Jesus.
No. Jesus merely used the idioms and the language of his day—just as you are doing here.
He didn’t invent the idea of God as a father.
He didn’t?
The patriarchy, with its patriarchal religions, had established itself long before lesus.
Then You are not “Our Father, who art in heaven?”
No, I am not. Anymore than I am your Mother in heaven.
Well, then, who are You? We’ve been trying to figure this out for thousands of years. Why
don’t You give us a break and just tell us!
The problem is that you insist on personifying Me, and
I am not a person.
I know that. And I think most people know that. But it sometimes helps us to think of You as a
person. We can relate to You better.
But can you? That’s the question. Can you? I’m not so sure you can.
One thing I will say: keep thinking of Me as a parent, and you’ll have a devil of a time.
I’m sure that was just a turn-of-phrase.
Of course.
Well, if we aren’t supposed to think of You as a parent, how should we think of You?