Letters

God's masculinity (letter)

John Davis

Contents - Aug 2002 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Assumption of Our Lady: 15 August - Michael Gilchrist Liturgy: New English Missal: Vatican sets guidelines for ICEL - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World - AD2000 Education: Beliefs and practices of Catholic students: the decline continues - Michael Gilchrist New program to apply Papal teachings in Melbourne Archdiocese - Michael Gilchrist Sexual abuse, celibacy and vocations: a response to the Church's critics - Fr Paul Stuart Events: Thomas More 2002 Winter School in Bendigo Helping Catholic school students to love the Church - Br John Moylan CFC New study of US seminary formation exposes fundamental flaws - John S. Webster Letters: Experts? (letter) - Jerome Gonzalez Letters: Church architecture (letter) - Tom King Letters: Women and the Church (letter) - Maureen Federico Letters: Sex abuse crisis (letter) - Mark Reidy Letters: Sexual sin (letter) - John H. Cooney Letters: Value for money? (letter) - L.L. Booth Letters: Dissent (letter) - Clair Tieppo Letters: 'New Catholicism' (letter) - Richard Congram Letters: Beyond 2000? (letter) - Mrs Peg Santamaria Letters: God's masculinity (letter) - John Davis Letters: Theological accuracy (letter) - Jan Chalmers Letters: Leaving it to God (letter) - Errol P. Duke Letters: Shakespeare (letter) - John A. Rayner Books: Dynamics Of World History, by Christopher Dawson - Michael Lynch (reviewer) Books: Abortion And Martyrdom, edited by Aidan Nichols - Tracey Rowland (reviewer) Music: 'Live Worship: Lifted', by Emmanuel Worship - Anthony Cappello (reviewer) Books: New Titles from AD Books Reflection: What Catholics should expect of their priests: men 'clothed in holiness' - Fr Fabian Duggan OSB

In the June edition of AD2000, Fr John Crothers, PP of the Parish of Penshurst NSW, argues that God is neither male nor female. After all, God is pure Spirit and therefore is without gender.

However, when speaking or writing of God we cannot do without a personal pronoun of one type or the other. Since the neuter pronoun "it" (which implies "thing") sounds rather disrespectful, we have to use "he" or "she" - there has been no other pronoun invented in the English language for the purpose of speaking of God.

So, what is the solution? Let's take a look at Sacred Scripture: in every reference Our Lord made to God, he called Him "Father", just as He referred to Himself as "Son".

Surely there is no greater authority than Our Lord Himself for using the masculine; however, I am aware there are others in the Church who believe they know better.

JOHN DAVIS
Kogarah, NSW

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 15 No 7 (August 2002), p. 15