RE: A spiritual view of Genesis for Songstress
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
EVE:
Poor Eve, upon whom so much is blamed! I hope you all managed to read that really interesting article "Im not Eve" that I gave the link for above. (The one that starts off telling us that in AD 584 women were declared human by one vote!) This explanation is from it:
"We can look first to St. Augustine (354-430 C.E.). He was bishop of the church in Hippo, North Africa. Often referred to as the father of Western Christianity, Augustine believed that humanity was irreparably damaged by "the fall." According to this theology, Eve was the cause of the fall because she gave Adam, her husband, the forbidden fruit. So the concept of original sin became the basis of most of Western theology, and Eve was identified as the original sinner. The view of women as sinners became strongly entrenched and was preached from pulpits for centuries to come."
So, what was our Eve guilty of? Well how about "curiosity killed the cat"? She loved to chat (nothings changed!) she listened to wrong talk, believed it and fell for it. The serpent got her through food, appearance and false wisdom! When Jesus was confronted by temptation, his answer was "Get thee behind me Satan."
Just thought you might like to read this short article from spirituality.com:
Afghanistan and the theological battle for women's rights
Here's an excerpt:
The scriptural pivot point for female repression is the account of the "Fall" in the first book of the Bible, the Adam and Eve story. Here woman is depicted as being responsible for all human woe because of her disobedience to God. Consciously or not, the shame and guilt associated with this primal disobedience have haunted women for centuries and may have made many of them more or less willing partners in their own subjugation.
RE: A spiritual view of Genesis for Songstress
Hi Judy, Can I just comment on what you've written here:
So, what was our Eve guilty of? Well how about "curiosity killed the cat"? She loved to chat (nothings changed!) she listened to wrong talk, believed it and fell for it. The serpent got her through food, appearance and false wisdom! When Jesus was confronted by temptation, his answer was "Get thee behind me Satan."
Sorry to be so blunt here Judy, but do you honestly believe the above comment. It's about time we stopped looking at Adam and Eve as the original sinners - THEY WERE NOT SINNERS, anymore than we are.
The story of Adam and Eve is there to illustrate God giving us free will. The episode with the serpent is in fact the beginning of duality, nothing else and nothing more.
We really need to move away from believing that Eve sinned. Do you think we're here by accident, do you think we've orchestrated this without God's consent? Do you think Eve would have sinned (for want of a better word) if God had chosen for her not to?
The Adam and Eve story represents duality as we know it. This story is not about sinning, or temptation. It is about God granting our request to have the experiences of hot and cold, up and down, it is about experiencing it all, and we can only do that on the Earth plane. WE chose to experience this Earth plane, where choices could be made. Adam and Eve represent the FREE CHOICE that God granted us.
Love and light
Rosi X
RE: A spiritual view of Genesis for Songstress
Hi Rosi,
Have you actually read through all my posts here? Well, you obviously couldn't have read the spirituality.com article "I'm not Eve" or you wouldn't be writing this! The whole point of me writing this forum is to show how I read the Bible spiritually, not literally (yes, I'm having some fun with a literal reading of Adam and Eve) in order to free us from the heavy imposition of old theology which is based on Genesis 2.
Christian Science healing is based on the true account of creation in Genesis 1. I don't believe in Genesis 2 allegory for one moment - it's the reason for all that's gone wrong!!
Please stay with me to the end! Please read through my posts properly and don't jump to the wrong conclusion! 🙁 Sob.......
With love,
Judy
RE: A spiritual view of Genesis for Songstress
Hi Judy, Please don't sob[sm=mecry.gif]
Apologies for jumping the gun, that'll teach me!
Love and light
Rosi X
RE: A spiritual view of Genesis for Songstress
Before I continue with the Adam and Eve allegory, I’m just going back to Mary Baker Eddy’s explanation before she starts her exegesis of the first chapters of Genesis:
Spiritually followed, the book of Genesis is the history of the untrue image of God, named a sinful mortal. This deflection of being, rightly viewed, serves to suggest the proper reflection of God and the spiritual actuality of man, as given in the first chapter of Genesis. Even thus the crude forms of human thought take on higher symbols and significations, when scientifically Christian views of the universe appear, illuminating time with the glory of eternity. (Science & Health 502)
For anyone interested in the higher meaning of Genesis 1, I really encourage you to read this exegesis. The spiritual understanding that Eddy shares in this book enables even what is termed incurable or terminal disease and disablities to be healed, often instantaneously, as well as the whole range of human sufferings and limitations.
Her spiritual interpretation of Genesis begins here on page 502:21
OK, back to our story:
TELL ME WHICH GOD YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE,
GENESIS 1 OR GENESIS 2?
Has it struck you what a weak and contradictory "god" we have here in the dream allegory? He makes living things, but doesn’t know what to call them, (doesn’t recognise their true identity – the word used for ‘name’ in Hebrew means ‘nature’) so has to get Adam (mortal thought) to name them. He’s made man, but man is incomplete, so he has to start all over again – re-do his work (even though the first account assures us that His work is finished and very good).
Then he gives them this beautiful garden, but makes them work in it (a penalty is attached to good). Then he seems to give with one hand and take with the other as he says they can’t have the fruit of one of the trees (so, why has he put it there – to temp them – what’s the purpose of that?) As if that all wasn’t bad enough, he ends by issuing threats. Not a very wise or loving god, this one! The man he’s made is disobedient to him and there’s even another little creature who pops up, contradicting everything he’s just said! Does this god sound rather human to you?
Tyranny, intolerance, and bloodshed, wherever found, arise from the belief that the infinite is formed after the pattern of mortal personality, passion, and impulse. (S&H 94)
Does God create a material man out of Himself, Spirit? Does evil proceed from good? Does divine Love commit a fraud on humanity by making man inclined to sin, and then punishing him for it? Would any one call it wise and good to create the primitive, and then punish its derivative? (S&H 356)
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OK, in the cause of brevity, I won’t go into the fig leaves and the shame bit, as that’s all quite obvious (well, I hope it is, to anyone who sees that the Adam and Eve allegory is human opinion - man's attempt to explain how suffering and guilt entered the world). Next, as a direct result of the temptation put in their path, first the serpent, then Eve and last of all, Adam, are meted out their punishment: