[jen4yeshua]

I know a lot of pagans through a particular network I am connected with, and a lot of the women have turned towards paganism because of their association of "patriarchal" Christian and Judaic brief systems with abuse of various kinds. There is a lot of language by my pagan acquaintances and friends that refers to mother instead of father when referring to God. It seems to me that rather than translating the bible to accomodate these belief systems and make it palatable to those who dislike the male references, the focus should be on addressing the types of abuse that brought about the shift in the first place, ensuring that as Christians we don't perpetuate the same kinds of abuse (nor tolerate it) and pray for these women to have an intimate relationship with Jesus, just like the woman at the well, and the woman caught in adultery, and any woman who has ever experienced the depths of His loving kindness. Then the healing will enable them to view the male Jesus and the father God in the light of this love.