Adam And Eve, The Bible, and Sexism

by Tyehimba

http://www.rootswomen.com/articles/T...le_Sexism.html

I can never accept the Bible in its fullness, and say that it is the perfect word of God. To do so would be to shackle myself to the centuries of illusions.

The Bible which has been used as a tool to oppress, subjugate and colonize indigenous people has proved to be even more powerful a weapon than the European's firearms. This historical fact is just another example of where Afrika's own has been used against Afrika.

The Bible contains wisdom but to accept it in its entirety, as being perfect is to overlook the very principles that Rastafari stands for, it is to overlook the role of the Bible as an instrument to conquer, it is to overlook the Nicene conference where the Romans under general Constantine made changes to it to suit their own imperialistic designs.

The Bible promotes sexism, and with the current popularity of this brand of Euro-Christianity it is no surprise that the Woman, the Queen of the earth is bombarded by rhetoric and practices of male superiority. Often we have gotten so used to this injustice that many of us perpetuate it in very unconscious and sometimes conscious ways.

From the beginning of the Bible (which some biblical scholars claim was 6000 years ago) Woman's inferior position in relation to the man is clearly outlined.

One only has to read the Adam and Eve myth (which some people actually peddle as fact) to see how the Woman, the female principle of the universe has been defiled.

Firstly Adam was made in the image and likeness of God, he was lonely so God made him a companion (Eve) from one of his ribs. The connotation of this is that Man alone was made in the image of God, not the Woman. God made Adam is his likeness so God must be male.

Eve is blamed and deemed responsible for all the sins of mankind for eating the forbidden fruit and for 'making', Adam eat it. For this she and by extent mankind is cursed forever; "Unto the Woman he said I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow shall thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee." (Genesis 3:16)

So conception far from being a blessed and joyous occasion was deemed a sorrowful occasion. Does this sound in line with the characteristics of God/Yeshuah?

Is the Woman, Mother Earth, Goddess, Queen destined for an eternal life of servitude?

Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the sexism and the ungodly behaviors that is perpetuated in some parts of the Bible. Continuing down the rancid path of sexism we come across in I Timothy 2:11-14:
"Let the Woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a Woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve and Adam was not deceived, but the Woman being deceived was in transgression."

This doctrine contradicts the ancient Afrikan way of life that viewed the Woman/the female principle with utmost reverence and this was reflected in their structure of their societies. The Woman was the teacher just as much as the man was. The female principle was an essential factor in the philosophy of the ancients, with women contributing immensely to the family and to the society. Euro-Christianity via the Bible and missionaries has contributed to the desecration of the female role in the family, the community and in the wider society.

"But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the Woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God... For the man is not of the Woman; but the Woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the Woman; but the Woman for the man." (I Cor 11:3,8,9)

Sisters I hope you are following carefully; listen to your men folk, don't object. Just keep walking behind him obediently and serve him for all your days? Also most importantly to get to God you must pass through man. It is alright for me to say the few above lines sarcastically, but that is the bitter reality for a lot of Women in this world who are not oppressed just by racism, classism and colonialism but by sexism as well. This world contains as much sexism as it does colonialism, racism and classism. The rastaman who is leading the fight against racism, colonialism, and classism must be prepared also to battle this ism. It must be remembered that at a time when the Black Woman was severely disrespected, it was the rastaman who discarded the normal terms such as bitch, hoe, chick, and 'thing' and honored her and addressed her as Queen Mother, Daughter, Empress, Princess etc. We must now go beyond this. We must not be hypocritical and give the females uplifting titles and then turn around and impose our sexist mentalities and practices on them. We need to respect and honor our Queens as a nation can only rise as high as their women. There must be priestesses as well as priests, just as there were in the ancient days. We must overstand that God is not a male entity but rather an androgynous entity comprising both the male and female principles to produce life.

It is of utmost importance to see clearly that I'm not arguing that males and females are the same, but rather that they complement each other and no one is superior to the other. It might be said that the Man will be able to naturally express himself better in a physical sense more than a Woman might be able to, however this does not negate the crux of my argument. Women like Hasheput, Queen Nzinga and Queen Candice completely overturned the Western conception on the role of Women. They were shining examples of Women who contributed immensely to their society.

The Bible contains wisdom and truth on which InI can stand and sight certain levels of God, but one has to be very discerning and separate fact from fiction. It is imperative that the Rastaman does not limit himself to the Bible and Judeo-Christianity but transcend all dogmas and deliver untainted truth to the people. InI can never accept that God has any chosen people in direct relation to sex, class, race, color or nation.

I've come across Rastafarians who claim to uphold Ethiopia but yet go ahead and in the same sentence and burns fire on Egypt. Those that burn fire, burn Egypt, the foundation of the very Bible that they are promoting. This in my opinion shows a lack of knowledge of fundamental history that will show that Ethiopians started what is known as Egypt and even that there were pharaohs who were Ethiopian. It is also ironic that certain dreads burn Egypt yet place complete trust in the Bible and it was the Egyptians who are responsible for a lot of biblical teaching. Don't eat the fruit but burn the root. The so called ten commandments which was supposed to be handed down to Moses on Mt Sinai is in fact taken from the 42 precepts (negative confessions) of Maat which were in existence long before Moses. Also Moses studied in the universities in Egypt so he must have come across it while he was there as it was recited in all major education centers around that time.

Alkebulan (Afrika/ Ethiopia) with its people, existed long before Christ 2000 years ago and even long before most biblical scholars say Adam and Eve came about which would be about 6000 years.

In conclusion, it is of utmost importance that humanity continue to evolve to suit the unique demands of now. We the children of NOW have at our disposal technology and INFORMATION that we have to use in a positive manner. This is the age of INFORMATION. We know things now that elders in the past didn't know or didn't have access to, so that means naturally that everything the elders said and did we don't have to say and do. In writing this article I must admit that I am not perfect even though perfection is what I'm aiming at. I don't want anyone to blindly accept or reject what I have written but rather strive to find out and research and from that formulate your own view. You just as I, have a right to be wrong, and I demand that you must be respected just as much as I demand that I be respected. In my trod on this earth I may have imbibed some sexism and other corruption that I have not purified as yet. I may be the biggest hypocrite in the world, BUT I'm working on it.

Hiya

I will keep it simple, you have to be careful with the word sexism

Yes , I agree with you, and NO i do not believe we came from no spare rib, and YES the book has been tampered with.

Off Topic, here is me thinking that Islam is the ONLY sexist religion! women walking behind men in christianity hmm food for thought

@ Tyehimba - sorry but I couldnt keep quiet! My comments are in blue

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Tyehimba wrote:

@All very interesting discussion and particularly well reasoned if I may say so Happiness. Found your argument very enlightening.

This discussion was very interesting to me for numerous reasons. One because I have serious issues with the bible as a historical document, and the fact so much of it is borrowed from Kemitc and other texts which can clearly be seen when comparisions are made; but also with Christianity generally its uses and abuses etc as it relates to my people. The bible and its uses is only one diminsion of that and not my primary concerns compared to killing, stealing and being the vanguards of white supremacy, paritcularly in outlawing and destroying so much indigenous practices in the world to faciliate their dominance. So Bob Marley's famous lyric, "I feel like bombing a church now that I know the preacher is lying"...

I don't get into the argument who is the true Christian as it is like who is the true Marxists, we either deduce from what we know and see. That does not dismiss small groups of individuals who are very ethically and morally consistent as far as it is humanly impossible without wishing to find perfection in people which simply does not exist. But we can only balance those type of people with the majority of what we know and then draw conclusions.

However, I also have very serious issues with too many feminists which pardoxically Happiness actually exposed in a most interesting way, from within biblical teachings. I can no longer remember my bible in any authorative manner.

Happiness is absolutely correct how people behave historically or contemporaneously cannot be deduced by references to texts but their motives as human beings. So feminist seeking to root sexism, whatever that happens to be in terms of precise and consistent definitions is opportuntistic and indicative how they behave, whether it is religious texts or examining other cultures.

Using decontextualisation, misrepresentation of the facts and making very spurious connections to advance their case is dishonesty and intellectual dishonesty at that.

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@ Freddy B - thank you for the compliment

But what did u mean by: "However, I also have very serious issues with too many feminists which pardoxically Happiness actually exposed in a most interesting way, from within biblical teachings."? - I am particularly interested in your use of the word "paradoxically"

@ RFYW - Im glad that you are being entertained. I live for nothing more!

Reading your lopsided opinion of Christianity made me cringe not so much because of your opinion but that I used to share it. Before I accepted Jesus in my life, I felt that Christianity was unfair to women and showed we were in need of supervision and constant guidance - like children. Since I have read the Bible I have come to realize God's love for women.

First, woman was given to man as a gift. God used just as much care in creating woman as he did in creating man. God used his hands and a rib from man so that man would love woman as he loves himself. God designed the two to be "one flesh" and the woman to stand BESIDE man (the ribcomes from the side),So how is it possible women do not share God's likeness? He designed us to be one with man who is made in his image. Why would God want something that was nothing like him to join with man. There is no mistaking that woman was made of man but by God.

God's love for women is even more obvious through this one flesh concept of marriage. God demands that a husband love his wife as Christ loved the church. Christ gave his life for the church to make her holy and clean and God demands the same sacrificial love of husbands.God even demands that the husband make the wife the first member of his family - above his mother and father. A man is supposed to be responsible for a woman spiritually, emotionally, and physically. God does not want his women hurt or ill treated by men or he wouldn't ask all this of men. God does ask that woman respect man so respect his place as head. By head this doesn't give him the right to mistreat or order.

Woman was a gift to help man so he should render affection due to his wife. God loves women enough that he demand a man to truly love them.

@ BB - my pleasure

about 12 years ago I decided to read the Bible from cover to cover as I would any novel. It was an eye opener for me and I am a Christian who grew up in a Christian home and went to a Christian school!

anyway, probably about9 years ago, I spent almost a year being visited by Jehovah's Witnesses. Initially I turned them away but they were persistent and so I decided to hear them. what it did was to reinforce my believes and I learnt alot about them and about myself and my faith

anyway, keep learning, andreading. I cometo the Bible off and on...its a life long journey and so it is ok to take a break for as long as you need. I am still learning and understanding....