it's females who actually have more natural characteristics of this benevolent God thing.

The concept of a "god" in Western society is a patriarchal notion. In Egypt, there was ISIS a female. There are many other examples of feminine gods or deities in other societies. The male concept is simply another tool to keep women in a submissive position.

If you get a chance read The Alaphabet Versus the Goddess. The author points out how prior to humankind learning to write, think the Sumerians, most of the deities were women. After the written word the patriarchy was born. Fascinating book.

Why would a god have to be human?

Invented by sexist men that's why...

no lets not

Not in Dogma! Although I might be able to get behind Buddy Christ. LOL

Think I've shared this before, but I've always loved a good "discussion" and once I caused a group of people to leave a party because I suggested that there was no real evidence that God was a "male". I told them that in the original language of the bible, the Holy trinity was referred to as God the Creator, The Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit and suggested that God could be female, or something else entirely. After a while of them saying He and me saying "or She", they couldn't stand it becoming a joke to the rest of the guests, and finally left in a huff.

Gender is clearly irrelevant in any entity or entities rising to the power and trans-human nature of a god. The use of a male pronoun harkens back to previous literary practice, which would supposedly be seen to encompass both genders. Since the 70's, though, people have come to realize that equality must be made explicit, not just "assumed" (because it often isn't).

Why do I care?

I agree with Petter regarding the historical, conventional use of the pronoun “he”.

I was just reading “The Oversoul” by Emerson and was struck by this beautiful deliberate use of “she”

“The soul looketh steadily forwards, creating a world before her, leaving worlds behind her. She has no dates, nor rites, nor persons, nor specialties, nor men. The soul knows only the soul; the web of events is the flowing robe in which she is clothed.”

Entertaining the concept of a God, and the rationale behind a gender specific label, "he", I'd say like all media or stories of populace control and trule knowledge, the opposite must be true. "She" is more than likely the proper understanding of God. The teachings of Society are meant to bombard us with false truths and for us, the free thinkers, to see the half truths through the cognitive dissonance and remove the latest of misinformation. Just like most emotions or thoughts are a onion like layered conundrum until truly evaluated. The core of our truth as a human condition is probably neither a singular Deity but a collective of higher intelligence. As humans, we are God's to many animals, particularly domesticated animals. Ranchers for example. The truth is we are living in a farm or a global ant farm, being observed. Filtering out the linear thinking, adrenal driven aspects of our species and slowly being restructured. Studying Neanderthals I've learned that we aren't the best if our kind. They had amazing brains and we're almost twice our siZe. The real reason we as homeo sapiens "survived" over them is we just killed them off. Literally. I believe we are energy, and thoughts vibrate a connected consciousness. The answer isn't dogmatic truth. It's a bigger truth. A larger understanding of our universe and a better understanding of chemistry and electromagnetism is required to truly grasp the possibilities.

I think mainly it's because men were the ones who made up god a few thousand years ago. So that's what they called it.
It's a bad habit and I try to refer to god as an 'it' if I catch myself.

George Carlin has a bit (that I couldn't find) about god where he says god has to be a man because no woman could fuck things up as bad as they are.

Because it's not real and humanity is a historical patriarchy meaning god(s) are made in the image of man at the time they are created. When women take over they can create all the female deity's they want.

I'd rather we just do away with religion along with a ruling sex, but males have had their way for a while, I'm not entirely opposed to a little extra female leadership for a while.

Because women are inferior (she says with extreme sarcasm).

In Christianity: A deity impregnated Mary giving HIS gender. Jesus a man for some weird reason is both the son and his own son, was also male.
As most know there are many several gospel that have been written but only a select few (chosen by celibate men called Father/Padre) were selected to keep to only one message which is that of gawd is a father figure.
So yes, a pure invention of men.

Um...hello......the bible says so.

To be fair some religions have their god as a she. Also, when it comes to religion I am absolutely certain that they all have it absolutely wrong...

If there were an omniscient, omnipotent deiety. Yes patriarchy,also the books of what is the Bible were likely written by the male species. We live in a mans world and strides to effect change are slowly making a positive dent.

Arabs have the perfect word for God --- Allah. It means The God. God has no gender in their language. They give God a title of 'The' as a sign of respect. In secular life, we give people titles as respect.....Mr. Mrs. Professor, etc. I take The God as meaning the God force. An energy rather than the invisible man in the sky watching our deeds.

Solve the problem by becoming a Wiccan! hehe.

It's just economics. Before the agricultural revolution, when societies were smaller hunter gatherer villages, societies were matriarchal and so were Gods; earth, sun fertility were worshipped. As societies settled and larger settlements formed, with civilization affording armies, men took the upper hand, societies became patriarchal and so did their Gods

Plenty of Godesses as well

Have you ever read articles written by Douglas Adams?

True in a western sense except that Mother Mary is significant. I do get your meaning though, and it is a stark example of how things are loaded. There are many goddesses in eastern religion