Question/insight #71: "What do you mean by "Godde?"

[Note from BibleTexts.com: This is a question posed to a fellow participant in an Ordination of Women email forum in which I participate at canon1024@ecunet.org. Katy Scott's reply to this question is being reproduced on this webpage with her permission.]

Dear ___ and others who have not yet read my explanation for the spelling of Godde. Christian Feminist writers became very uncomfortable with the traditional God. It was understood in the present RCC/Christian environment that God=Male connotation. Now we all say we understand that God the Creator/Sustainer is a Spirit and has no sex, BUT we humans, being who WE ARE, through time "inferred" maleness to God. One of our common sins being our giving to Godde OUR human qualities and foibles (same as the Greek and Roman, etc. -- all the great Pantheons of gods throughout time) and not letting Godde be Godde, Mystery.

[BibleTexts.com note: The acronym RCC refers to the Roman Catholic Church.]

So the Feminist writers introduced the word Godde: God for the "male characteristics" and de extending the meaning toward Goddess for the "female characteristics;" but wise women as they are, they stopped the spelling here.

I really like this spelling as the best I have read, Godde is inferred to be "not only male and/or female, but more -- open ended into eternal Mystery." To our eye when we read it, the spelling is "incomplete" just like our knowledge of Godde, who is Mystery, and who is more than male and female and all that our present theologies can describe.

I am sorry I cannot give credit to one author of the spelling. I do not know who she is. I hope this helps. When I say, "Godde," I pronounce it "God."

Katy Scott (katyscott@21stcentury.net)

Response #71 from RNC of BibleTexts.com:

Thanks for your explanation of the term Godde. For dialog to work, new terms need to be understood. Would it be okay if I put your explanation on a webpage and post a link to it on the BibleTexts.com website on the "Women" page at http://www.bibletexts.com/women.htm?

If that is okay, would you want me to put your name and email address, just your name, or just reference you simply as a "contributor to the Canon1024 Women's Ordination forum?"

Follow-up response #71 from Katy Scott:

It is okay. It is also okay to include my name and email address. Maybe I can find the author and give her the credit.

Katy