All is well in the Garden of Eden, or so it seems. The weather is always "72 and sunny," lions lie down with lambs, and life is one big frolic for Adam. He doesn't have to work much and he has universal health care. But alas, Adam is lonely. And he is wondering about the mysteries of his seemingly multi-use penis.
So God decides Adam needs a partner. He puts Adam to sleep and takes out a rib, and "bam!" Eve is born. Not as an equal to Adam, mind you, but as an afterthought of sorts. A last-minute solution to a problem. Something for Adam to busy himself with before NASCAR came along.
The website allaboutcreation.org explains to us that "The story of Adam and Eve is the ultimate reflection on humanity" and that it "explains that humanity was created in order to reflect God's glory, similar to a statue created to reflect the glory of an ancient king." How quaint! And as proof that the story is not a myth they offer this pearl of wisdom - "people can't be decedents from a myth."
And damn if that woman didn't screw it up. The very first woman creates the "fall from grace." She eats fruit from a tree right smack in the middle of the Garden of Eden, a fruit God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat. Sounds like a setup. Eve eats, and gets Adam to take a bite or two also. God is mad as hell, and he's not going to take it. Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden and forced to scrap it out in the real world. God sentences all women to have pain in childbirth, men to have to work, and then they will die. Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it? If the consequences be so dire, isn't like putting a gun in a kid's room and telling them not to touch it?
Christians the world over see the story as a metaphor for everything gone wrong. If not for Eve, everyone would be happy and running around naked in the Garden of Eden. I guess they don't realize that if Adam and Eve would have stayed there and not had to face death there probably wouldn't be a need for so many generations of humans to be born. Eve is the fallibility of women, their gullible nature, their tendency to get into trouble without a man around. Eve is the reason we are separated from the greatness of God, and why he had to send Jesus to save us all.
So God decides Adam needs a partner. He puts Adam to sleep and takes out a rib, and "bam!" Eve is born. Not as an equal to Adam, mind you, but as an afterthought of sorts. A last-minute solution to a problem. Something for Adam to busy himself with before NASCAR came along.
The website allaboutcreation.org explains to us that "The story of Adam and Eve is the ultimate reflection on humanity" and that it "explains that humanity was created in order to reflect God's glory, similar to a statue created to reflect the glory of an ancient king." How quaint! And as proof that the story is not a myth they offer this pearl of wisdom - "people can't be decedents from a myth."
And damn if that woman didn't screw it up. The very first woman creates the "fall from grace." She eats fruit from a tree right smack in the middle of the Garden of Eden, a fruit God had forbidden Adam and Eve to eat. Sounds like a setup. Eve eats, and gets Adam to take a bite or two also. God is mad as hell, and he's not going to take it. Adam and Eve are expelled from Eden and forced to scrap it out in the real world. God sentences all women to have pain in childbirth, men to have to work, and then they will die. Sounds a bit harsh, doesn't it? If the consequences be so dire, isn't like putting a gun in a kid's room and telling them not to touch it?
Christians the world over see the story as a metaphor for everything gone wrong. If not for Eve, everyone would be happy and running around naked in the Garden of Eden. I guess they don't realize that if Adam and Eve would have stayed there and not had to face death there probably wouldn't be a need for so many generations of humans to be born. Eve is the fallibility of women, their gullible nature, their tendency to get into trouble without a man around. Eve is the reason we are separated from the greatness of God, and why he had to send Jesus to save us all.
Comments
Well done!
It is amazing how obviously absurd the myth is once one isn't a Christian any longer... and it is even more amazing looking back and considering how 'unquestionable' the myth was when one was a Christian (speaking from experience). :o) And now I even have to wonder if the folks who believe in it and also in the notion of a 'fair' or 'just' god ever think about how absurd it is, even if one assumes the story to be true, for god to condemn Eve and Adam for disobeying him when they couldn't possibly have realized that it was 'wrong' to disobey his order.... seeing as they didn't obtain the ability to know right from wrong until after they had eaten the thing. Thanks for a good read! :o)
By the way, groups of women who challenge the traditional patriarchial societal structure often call themselves "daughers of eve." I've also heard groups of artists call themselves that too
Oh, I agree Jennifer...my point is to take the myth and turn it on it's head, giving an entirely different take on the metaphor....Jack, exactly. And thanks Tim...
The story of Genisis is indeed responsible for the oppression of women throughout history. I was watching (I can't believe I'm admitting this because I NEVER watch this stuff) one of those wife swap shows once. And there was this mega-Christian family, in which there were no sons and several daughters. You should have HEARD the stuff they were teaching their daughters. And the gist of the show was that they wife that came in, though she didn't agree with the family's philosophy, eventually came to respect their way of life. Made me wrech.
I hope though, Jeff, that someone doesn't come along and read the end of this article and decide that you BELIEVE in the genesis story, but that you appreciate the outcome.... We just always have to be clear if we want to assert our belief that the story is fiction. Know what I mean?
If the fantastical story of Adam and Eve were written today, its author would be labeled a misogynist, and rightly so if it were meant to depict the genesis and true nature of humanity. Much of the fictional "good book" is misogynistic, which explains much of why women were treated so poorly throughout history (even much of modern history), especially by the religious. Religion continues to facilitate prejudice against women and is responsible for most sexist double-standards today, especially as they pertain to promiscuity.
Incisive theoretical musings.
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