I realize this is the pagan section, however the Goddess Sophia and the Shekinah are one and the same Goddess and have all but been erased from the Christian religion of today. There is a Goddess and she is alive and well and continuing to co-create with God. I believe that all Gods and Goddess come from one divine universal source and though they may have different names they are the same. These are not my articles and credit has been given along with the links to the sites they are from.

Have you ever wondered about that gorgeous woman in Michelangelo�s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel�the one that God has his arm wrapped around while his other arm extends to touch the hand of Adam?





Sophia was also the mother of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Goddess Gift

On the Shekinah the Wisdom and Glory of God



THE HOLY SHEKINAH SPIRIT

Among the Hebrews one of the traditional names of God is the Shekinah, and, interestingly, it is a feminine gender noun. Many Hebrews saw her as the mother or feminine aspect of God.

In Christianity the Holy Spirit is seen as the Advocate, Guide and Comforter (John 14:16-26 and Acts 9:31),

Romans 8: "But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you." (Romans 8:8)


Read More about Shekinah
elysiumgates.com

Thia,
How beautiful and meaningful!!

Oh I Loved the peoms!!! and the pic!!

I was just thinking, and i do know that this is not the christian forum but...

I have always thought that GOD was both male and female but neither one at the same time. Does that make since? I can See Jesus the Son of God being a male and the need for Jesus to come to Earth as a man in those days because a woman was nothing. But the Holy Spirit I see as like the daughter of God. the reason I say this is because as a woman I feel like sometimes I am invisible to the world at large but I know that without women there would be no world everything would die. I see the Holy Spirit as the invisible Jesus that stays with Earth and humanity guiding us and living with in us who is like a mother or big sister. the Holy Spirit does not judge us but judges our actions. the holy spirit is like the Big sister who says I told you not to do that or you'ld get it but is also there for the shoulder to cry on after we get it!
Jesus I have got to say is like the Big Brother that you watch to see what he does so you can copy it and be Just as Cool as He is!
keep in mind I am an only child and I have always wanted a Big brother and sister so...

I have trouble relating parts of the bible with God the Father because some of the things seem like something a mother would do.. like God is a Jelous God and the Wrath of God... those to me come from more of a emotional heart reather then a logical mind...and when the Egyptions wondered in the desert for forty years...that sounds like something a Father would do but the fact that they had everything they needed is more motherly to me...

ok so I am rambling on and on... but I ran across this old thread and thought that i would revive it and see if anyone had something new to say about it!

Free,

Thank you for sharing your insights into your beliefs. I do understand relating to the god of your faith in a personal way. When I was younger and being raised in a Christian household I always viewed Jesus as more of a brother. As I grew older, I realized that not only did my family and church not view him that way but that they thought it was wrong to do so. I know that is not how every Christian church is but that's how it was for me.

For me though, I came to feel the earth, sky, and elements around me as deities. When I grew older I found that Paganism was the path that acknowledged that feeling in a meaningful way.

Being Pagan, of course I understand the feeling of seeing God as more than male. There are some Christian churches that are opening up to that possibility. I recall my grandmother telling me though that "those people aren't real Christians." That never made sense to me as I thought Jesus would be totally cool with that.

I think I'm rambling on now. I just mean to say that I completely understand seeing the female aspect in the divine. To me, it's unmistakable.

I am not sure if I see God as both female and male in one or if I see God as neither one. I just think God is bigger then what most try to see Him as... It is like God has to be small and fit into something we understand and suits the majoritys needs. Back when the bible was wrote the majority that counted was men women were uneducated and seen but never heard. There are women in the bible and that speaks valumes about there charitor because most dont get mentioned at all and others have no name. But I feel like there is so much more that was left out because it did not suit the majoritys purpose... and it is not just about feminism or femanist views it is so much larger that words fail me.
it is like having a note card for a test you write down the highlights and stop when you run out of room but the real book is to big to put onto the note card.... If you dont read the book you have no idea what the note card really means. but by reading the book and not knowing the auther you misunderstand the book in someways.
like our post on this site... We type what we have to say but other dont really know us and may read the post differently and not understand what we ment or take offence to what we said, not because we ment to offend but because they do not understand how we talk in real life or what our personality is. it is just a flat dialog with no face or voice to help get the meaning across.

I think the Holy Bible as well as other books of religious importants are like this. We try to get to know the auther by reading the note card and we bring our history and what others have told us to believe and everything we have as insite and read the note card and in a way this is great but in a very real way this is not a good thing at all because it is so limited and convining when others tell us what we should or should not believe about the bible or any thing else for that matter.

I have noticed in some Pagan and wiccan sites that there is a real rift between Buckland, Cutingham, and Ravenwolf and many other troditions and then there is the ah...fluffy bunnies and the ah free thinkers that do what they want... (sorry I am not great at labels...) but at the heart of all the traditions it is basicly the same... the same with christians Baptist, Catholic, Mormon, Methodist, Nazerine, whatever....... we come from different places and read the same thing and and get something different. or we read different things and get to the same place. and it is sooooo simple but soooo hard for us to do.
Call it what you will Wiccan rede, Live and let live or the Golden Rule. so no matter the point remines: Weather God is male or female, black white or neon pink If we do not repect others and our selfs the whole issue of God is mute and by putting God in a box and saying oh God cant do that because that is not what the church or tradition believes...is only dividing us and our own hearts and minds on a very real and personal level.
so the real Question would be How Big IS god? I like to think God is this Great Big being that is big enough to look past the labels and the things that we as humans just cant understand and love us anyways. But I also see God as this being that takes a personal interest in my life and will get involed and help me help myself if I can just turn my life over to God. Why would I choose to turn my life over to some little bitty god that I can fulling understand and there for out think? or one that is so small that HE SHE IT cant or wont help- love- you because you did didnt said didnt say or have this label or that?


ok so that is the end of my sermon.... sorry I really do try not to preach....here.

Free,

Don't worry, I don't see this as a sermon. I actually agree with you on several points.

First, it's true that labels tend to divide rather than unite. People of all faiths argue amongst themselves. One thing people sometimes do with Paganism is put it all under one big umbrella. Just like Christianity, there are many denominations within Paganism.

I admit that I'm not one of the Pagans who thinks we should all just agree. I think we should do our best to get along but that isn't the same as agreeing.

As to the concept of "itty bitty gods" as you put it, Pagans are also divided on this concept. Many believe in One divine source for all things and that all gods are one god. Others believe that the gods are individuals unto themselves. That does not make them small gods compared to the "one" god however. Many Pagans would take exception to that idea. Others combine the 2 concepts, that is there is one source that all the gods emanate from. I tend to take the latter view. I have no problem communing with one of these "itty bitty gods" as I believe they are quite powerful.

When it comes down to it, I believe that religion is intensely personal. We may come together to worship but at the end of the day we are left alone with what our concept of god is and hopefully live our lives accordingly.

OOPS I what I ment by Itty bittys God was not really the way you took it.... I ment it more for the Christian Diety the One True Only God that lives and is Maker of All... How Can a Christian Say that there God is All powerful all Knowing if they turn around and say God Can Do this or That? For example, God Can not reincarnate someone because it does not say so in the Bible. Or God cant save someone by His own power we have to get involved and point out that they are sinners,evil and they NEED/ HAVE TO get saved? How are WE to tell say God cant do something? If God is all knowing and Powerful then to me it looks like God can Do whatever God sees Fit to do Right?
I did not mean that if you believe in many Gods/ Goddesses or Dieties that the smaller/lesser Gods Godesses and Dieties where not Powerful... I dont know anything about them...so I wont Judge them..

Just thought I would clearify that point.

Free,

Thank you so much for clarifying. The internet is a tricky medium to try to understand people in with no body language to see or words to hear.

I agree that none of us can say what God (Goddess, Gods or whatever) can do or can't do. We do project our own needs and desires onto what we think the divine is capable of.

I think you are right Trish, the Ineternet is very hard medium to understand others...and I dont feel that we do God Justice by putting the Creator into a box and saying OK whatever is in the box the Creator can do but anything else is out of reach.

I also find it funny how any and all Dieties have become like Jinies in a bottle. They are there to grant our every wish! I dont think any Diety is real happy havind people think they are there to Jump at our comand! I went to a church reveal and the paster said that if we have problems in our life it is because we are not good enough christians and then he went on to digg this hole about how God will give us what we want or need if we do this or that and pray and ask boldly for it! he used the example of his son wanted a game for his Xbox and he prayed everynight for it until he baught this game for his son. the game I found out later has lots of violents and killing and promotes car theift and the rape of women. Great so the preacher got his kid this game because the kid prayed every night for a week to get it... ???? How is that for anyones best and highest good? better yet how does that promote a good christian life style?

I went to church the sunday before and the sermon was how we should not be like (insert anyone out side of the church) I stood up and walked out. When church becomes about how evil every one ELSE is and less about GOD then what is the point of being in the house of GOD???

I think I become more Pagan every time I go to church! Give me 10 more Sundays in church with preaching like that and I maybe a full time member of the Pagans our us Club! where do I sign up?

(note sarcasim running rammped!)