God Beyond The Binary

The Possibilities of Universalism

By Camille

In one of my blogs, I discuss the divine universality, an interesting converging point of doctrine and the Christian God being understood as a God for all regardless of gender and sexuality. As I stated toward the end, "For God so loved the world, he so loved the humans that occupy the corners of the Earth. The God I know is a God who wouldn’t condone hatred on the basis of one’s skin tone, gender expression, sexuality, work, and journey in life. Something else that I want to delve into more is the construction of gender and sexuality. I am going to raise questions about the existence of God. Where did the idea of God being a man come from? Wouldn’t this idea of God being a man have stemmed from something outside of ourselves. Meaning, because we are imperfect, we are minuscule to the formation of any idea of God, wouldn’t saying that God is a man reflect man originating that idea? .....Furthermore, do not confuse my reflection as a pejorative critique that lacks contemplation. I have most certainly pondered the many questions that present itself, and all of my questions are centered on the prevailing goal of a true inclusive Christianity and the many intersecting elements.....In the continuation of this idea of reimagining doctrine, I will dive more into scripture that regards Jesus’s/God’s existence, the revelation of God. Also, this is probably like a simplified version of the objective of Universalists. It makes sense universal God = Universalism. I may study that more as well."

The main question from that blog was: Is the attribution of maleness to God a reflection of human biases rather than divine truth?  Furthermore, regarding the revelation of God, it makes sense scripture would become more of a universalist point of thought, one that conquers human-made divisions. If Christians, like me, want to bring people towards the Lord, then why portray God as a person who would wreck havoc the moment someone is perceived to disobey him? Furthermore, why condem people in the name of the Lord? Condemnation often comes from a place of judgment and superiority, which can be alienating and counterproductive to fostering genuine connections with others. Instead, emphasizing empathy, compassion, and understanding can create opportunities for meaningful dialogue and spiritual growth. Reframing the concept of "disobedience" in terms of relational dynamics rather than strict obedience to rules can be helpful.

Throughout history, many religious traditions have depicted God in masculine terms. This reflects the patriarchal societies in which these beliefs emerged, where male dominance and authority were often emphasized. Therefore, when considering disobedience and condemnation in the bible, it seemingly is patriarchal in the sense that it is used to reinforce gender roles that marginalize women, people of color, and other diverse communities. Women, for example, may be portrayed as temptresses or seductresses, while men are depicted as leaders or protectors. These portrayals can contribute to the marginalization and oppression of women and other already marginalized groups, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and limiting opportunities for equality and inclusion.

So, how does this patriarchical disobedience coincide with divine universality? The very essence of divine universality, which I have since understood, is that the divine existence would always transcend human thought and depictions because they often place limitations on the possibilities of imagination and when that happens, that limitation often further subjugates marginalized communities. The patriarchal interpretations of obedience and condemnation are human constructs rather than divine truths. For example, the portrayal of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Good and Evil, that story often portrays Eve as the perpetrator of disobedience and that in turn led to her subsequent blame and then being dishonored from the Garden of Eden. The idea of controlling women and marginalized communities is patriarchy.

Dictating what is a Godly woman, and who she should look like and embody, having women assumed to be more in caregiving and domestic roles within the church and religious spaces instead of being the leader and Pastor, modesty standards that seemingly only reinforce the notion that women are objects of desire and temptation rather than individuals with agency and dignity, the double standard of women being blamed in cases of perceived unethical sexual behaviours especially if it is outside of heterosexual marriage, and finally, the language and imagery used within worship, such as God regarded as a heterosexual and male and exclusively using cis-gendered male pronouns (he/him) this all furthers the subjugation of diverse interpretations, which only aids in the marginalization of these communities. Couldn't God be a man, a woman, a holy individual who isn't constrained by heteronormativity and instead assumes the holy identity of the human experience and imagination? God is a savior, a God of might, glory, and unending capabilities that could transcend even our mere human conceptions of God. 

Something interesting that I found while looking at some of the Universalist church's websites, is that one stated that they believe in Universal Salvation, that no person would be eternally damned from and separated from God and another statement mentioned that since everyone was created in the Divine  Image, they do not support the use and interpretation of bigoted scripture used to discriminate against people because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, age, class, nationality, physical and mental capability, and any aspect of human existence that would otherwise be treated as an abomination in "traditional" spaces. 

This brings me to my last question, with all of this range of possibilities, why would we attribute all of the majesticism of God to a cis-gendered, heterosexual man? 

Thank you for reading this blog!