Friday, April 5, 2013

Cross cultural ironies USA v Muslim World




I. Body parts

In the Muslim World, showing living body parts in public is regarded as obscene, but dead bodies are acceptable in news stories.

In the USA, living body parts can be shown in public and in the press, while dead bodies are considered too obscene for TV

II Clothing 1

In the Muslim World, skimpy clothing is supposed to be worn only in the privacy of the home, particularly in bed.  People are not supposed to go outside dressed like that.  Women are supposed to wear long, loose dresses outside.

In the USA, long, loose dresses are night gowns and are supposed to be worn only in bed, not outside.

III Clothing 2

In the Muslim World, covering a woman's face and body with long black robes is a symbol of virtue.

In the USA, long black robes and covering the face are symbols of death and evil, suitable for vampires and witches.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Natural childbirth, Eve, and orignal sin


My mom raised me to believe that Bible stories are to be interpreted as metaphors.  I'm going to look at part of the creation story from that perspective.

Having natural childbirth made me rethink the story of "The Fall" and Eve's role in that story.  Against God's strict orders, she allegedly took the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil -- at the urging of a serpent, who represents Satan.  She and Adam ate the apple, then became aware of their nakedness, which God recognized as a sign that they had disobeyed.  He banished them from Eden and condemned Eve to pain in childbirth.

Knowledge of good and evil -- that means the enlarged head that comes from the enlarged brain.  That's what brings pain in childbirth.  The pain is the logical result of the larger head.  The story is a metaphor to explain pain in childbirth.

Most Christians regard Eve as the villain in the story.  But is she really? 

Looking at it from the point of view of evolution, over time, millions of "Eve's" have chosen smarter mates as fathers for their children. This means that the heads of those children kept getting bigger.

When I chose the father of my children, I looked for someone intelligent, who I hoped would pass on good genes to my kids.  That meant that he had a large head.  That meant that my chances of pain in childbirth would be increased -- but still I chose the smart guy.  That's what I wanted for my kids.  I would never have chosen a guy with microencephaly, even if I thought it would mean less pain in childbirth for me.  I would never have chosen a cat as a mate, even though kittens would be easier to deliver.

In this way, I made the same decision as Eve.  I chose knowledge.  I believe most women would make the same decision

From the perspective of the story, animals, with smaller brains, have no sense of embarrassment over being naked. God knew that Adam and Eve had knowledge, because they knew they were naked

I wonder how animals perceive their lifespan.  Can they consciously understand that they are mortal? Absent this enlarged head, one might perceive that one was living forever.  Perhaps animals in the Garden of Eden did not know they weren't living forever.  Perhaps they didn't really live forever. 

People have interpreted this tale from Genesis as indicating the source of "original sin." I don't see it that way. Clearly there are consequences of decisions.  Even and Adam had to live with consequences; but I would not say that that meant that they made the wrong decision.  

Actually, I think Eve made the right decision.  I made the same one myself: for knowledge, for intelligence -- and accepted the consequences, i.e. the pain -- and glad I did.

Eve should in fact be regarded as a hero. She brought knowledge. 

Extensively edited: 12/18/18 
Edited again 3/15/24

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Addendum: Also, without knowledge of good and evil, how was Eve to know that disobeying God was wrong?

It was sort of a catch-22, possibly indicating that God really wanted her to do it in the first place, much as Brer Rabbit really wanted to be thrown in the briar patch.