Q&A Forum - March 2011 (Best of Elise)

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That's an interesting assessment of the Genesis account of the fall of mankind. I agree with you that man has used the story of the fall to oppress women. That is too bad. Your analogy is very profound. However, you primarily focus on the judgment (pain in child bearing) according to the Genesis account of the fall. The fall of mankind encompasses so much more than that one judgment.

Whether you believe the fall is a literal event or a story to portray a spiritual truth, the Genesis account of the fall of mankind is about man’s fall from God’s grace. The New Testament of the Bible is about man's redemption back into God's grace. (Note - "man" as a species, not "man" as a gender. One of the biggest mistakes people make when reading the Bible is they confuse the word "man" with the word "male").

It is unfortunate that the Patriarchal has taken the Bible and has used it to beat down women. That is what happens when spiritually dead men try to intellectualize a spiritual book. God is not angry nor is God uniquely male. God is also female and God is loving, kind, merciful and forgiving.

Religious people are sin conscious. Spiritual people are God conscious. When you are God conscious, you are not sin conscious . That is the lesson taught by Genesis and the meaning behind the story about the two trees in the Garden of Eden. If you want to know my personal interpretation of Genesis, write me (that goes for anyone) and I'll be glad to share it with you.