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| The dream, |
Speaking at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London on Monday evening Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury said that God is not a father in the same way that a human would be – and that descriptions of God are always “to some degree metaphorical”.
The trap was sprung. The media pounced. Mail Online put it thus:
'God is not male… OR female’: Archbishop of Canterbury says ‘the Father’ cannot be defined by human gender.
Newsnight kicked off [@28.20] in the context of gender fluidity with 'When the Archbishop of Canterbury suggests that God is not male, what should we think?'
The Rev Dr Margaret Joachim suggested that we should not pray to Our Father because the simple word father has an appalling connotation for people who have had unfortunate relationships with their fathers!
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| the reality |
Are there no unfortunate relationships with mothers in Dr Joachim's book?
It is an odd notion that it is sexist to pray to the father but not if we pray Our Mother as women bishops are suggesting.
The simple truth is that when asked how we should pray Christ said to pray 'Father, hallowed be your name'.
Metaphorical images of a female God in the Bible speak of motherhood. A mother's selfless care and nurture of her children, something feminists in the church fail to recognise.
They have marginalised many devout mothers of conscience who for millennia have been happy to pray Our Father as Christ taught us. I know who I would rather listen to.
