Is God a She or an It?

Gender neutral Bible translations are not new, but the trend is continuing with an alarming rate. The German Family Minister Kristina Schroeder, a Lutheran member of Germany’s conservative party, just declared that God could very well be referred to as “it.” Modern Bible translations refer to God as “he” and “she” and speak of God as “Father” and “Mother.” How do the inspired Hebrew and Greek texts refer to God, and why does it matter that we understand correctly who and what God is?