Greed, fear, and power-mongering have led to the distortion of history for a long time. But, this process has been glaringly evident recently.
Before we meet “the first couple,” I’d like to offer a brief, twenty first century example of how historical events can become mere stories which become ever more vulnerable to distortion and creative license with the passing of time. Most Americans hopefully remember what they saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears, on the day of January 6th, 2021. Now compare that event with the wide range of alternative accounts that have surfaced over three short years.
How accurately would the pre-adulterated facts have been retained and relayed, if there had been no video or sound recordings from the entrance to the Capital? Now take that thought a notch further. Imagine how accurately the facts of that event would have been relayed to future generations if there had been no printing presses or even an established written language!
Try to wrap your head around the fact that a couple thousand years ago, the only way to convey inspiring words or historical events was by - word of mouth!
I don’t have any newly discovered historical facts to offer, but I do have an inquisitive mind that “God” gave me. And that mind has incorporated scientific principles and perspectives that were unavailable to anyone when so-called “sacred texts” were written.
Old fashioned story telling was the only means available to widely disseminate information when Adam and Eve were “created” by God . . . or I dare say created by some desperate theologians who decided that - there has to be a beginning somewhere!
Here’s my summarized version of the “Creation Story,”
Quotations are from the “Revised Standard Version” of the Bible.
In Genesis, the first Book of The Bible, the author states - “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” Then over the period of six days, God created day and night, the sea, land, the stars, plants, animals and two homo sapiens. To quote God, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” - as in puff, there we were.
In the second chapter of Genesis, the author apparently gives a localized version of creation in the “Garden of Eden.” Imagine a very nice park with lots of plants and animals and it was there that Adam was placed. But that first man was lonely, so God removed one of Adam’s ribs and used it to create a playmate of sorts and her name was Eve.
Eden was gifted to the youngish couple even before clothes were invented. And they were both cool with that. Everything was pretty much perfect, and they had plenty to eat. However, there was a beautiful apple tree in the middle of the garden, and they were both instructed by God not to eat of it or “you shall die.” Well, humans will be humans.
There happened to be an evil, talking snake, which in Bible speak would be a serpent. And that serpent told Eve: don’t you worry about what God said, just pick one of those red gems and give it to Adam - you watch, he’s a guy, he’ll eat it. The snake reassured her - “You will not die for God knows when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Well, she did the unthinkable, then Adam did the unthinkable.
To put it mildly, God was really ticked. He explained that now the lovely couple would feel nude and have to find something to wear. He basically said that because of what Eve did, she and all women thereafter would have to go through really bad birth pangs and be under the thumb of their husbands forever. And Adam, for his part, would have to work for a living his entire life. Did I mention God was ticked?
I have so many questions,
. . . . but if I want to be a card-carrying evangelical Christian, I’m expected to believe that the Bible is the infallible word of God.
Where do I start?
First, the HUGE elephant in the room. Where did GOD come from?
When was this story first chiseled into stone? One Biblical “expert” laughingly suggested “6004” years ago.
Who was the narrator who witnessed the serpent conspiring with Eve?
Where did the original “void” which was apparently a bunch of water, come from?
Was this originally a children’s story which was slightly adapted for adults?
Why was there no reference made at any point to the earth being a sphere? Would God have not known or want to share that little detail?
There’s a vague reference to the heavens, and stars. But did the God of Genesis create the entire Universe or just the earth? Are there other Gods for other galaxies?
Would a loving God punish brand new human beings and their descendants forever for making one bad choice?
So, what on earth are you saying, Mark?
Maybe the first two chapters of the book of Genesis were, like all the books of the Bible, written by lowly mortals like you and me. Maybe they were then translated countless times and modified to make sense in different historical and cultural settings. And maybe, just maybe, they were distorted and corrupted to serve the agendas of those in power.
Maybe many of the thoughts conveyed throughout the Bible or any “sacred text” come from a reservoir of growth and beauty that we have only dipped our toes into.
Maybe, the first two chapters of Genesis have significant value beyond the fairy tale-like narrative that we’ve read. Metaphors and symbolism quickly come to mind but why stop there? Stay tuned.
Maybe “God” is not a person, and maybe we weren’t created in “HIS” image.
Maybe we don’t know squat about who or what led to the creation of this magnificent planet - not to mention the unfathomably complex though imperfect life forms that populate it. So many questions for some, and so many pat answers for others.
What thoughts came to your mind as you read or reread the creation story today?
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A new question about the Bible's creation story sprang into my mind as I read this today. Why did god use one of Adam's ribs to make Eve? If this god is so powerful why didn't this god just create Eve as a stand-alone creation? One possible explanation for this is that a story that says Eve was made from Adam's rib immediately, from the get-go, woman is set up to be inferior to man. In all likelihood, the bible was written by men so it is not surprising that woman was introduced as a being dependent on man.
Hi Mark, your post illustrates the utter incoherence of modern fundamentalism. In practice those who claim the Bible is “inerrant” are only interested in proof texts to “prove” their opinions are those of God. There is much truth and beauty in the creation stories viewed rightly, as creative attempts to illustrate eternal truths, e.g. before the “original sin” there was the original blessing of creation itself.