Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Genesis 1 and 2 - a 'low rent side show'
In honor of PZ’s challenge "Anyone up for a Creation Museum Carnival" I say why yes, I am, and have dusted off and updated a couple of posts on Genesis 1 and 2 and combined them here. What better way to celebrate the opening of "Ken Ham's fabulously low-rent sideshow attraction of pseudoscience" than to peruse those chapters in that oh so full of holes book that gives him ‘inspiration’.
But first an inspirational quote to sent the tone "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." (George Orwell)
Feel inspired? I knew you would. The first Book of Moses commonly called Genesis. From the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha Expanded Edition Revised Standard Version (the NOABAEERSE...heh). All excerpts were copied from this site, and checked for accuracy against my hard copy.
Genesis, chapter 1
Day 1
1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2: The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
3: And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4: And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5: God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Yeah, uh-huh, sure. So we have heaven and earth without form...how do you have earth without form? No, seriously, how do you have a planet without form? Even if we’re talking a cosmic dust cloud here, there would be some form. Now you might claim the earth hadn’t been "formed" yet. Fair enough, but "...the spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters..." Face of the water implies something was there...you know, like "the face of the waters", which implies form. How do you have water without form? All right, all right, I’ll stop picking nits and move on.
So we have light "created" and, of course, the "light was good". And remember to give money to Priests (er, scratch that, getting ahead of myself).
"The light was good". The light was day and the darkness was light...but we have no source of light. As we’ll see below, the sun is missing in action for three more days. We have light but no sun.
I just want to make that clear. Light, no Sun. Got it!
Day 2 (suspenseful, isn’t it?)
6: And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
Just so we’re on the same "page" here, firmament is a "Solid dome" (at least according to the sources I’ve read, including the footnotes in the NOABAEERSE...heh. You may now return to your regularly scheduled reading.
This is actually important in a moment...oops, sorry. Just ignore me now.
7: And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
Wheew, that was a quick day, wasn’t it. So the firmament is actually a solid dome, as in a dome in the sky. Um...I don’t know how to tell you this Almighty one, but there is no solid dome above us. Nope, nada, it’s not there. The atmosphere gets thinner the higher we go up, it is not solid.
Uh, yeah, why do we have someone who flunked basic science making a universe?
Well, okay, let’s keep going.
The firmament separated the waters above (I assume clouds, rain, etc.) from the waters below (you know, those seas without form). We now have the sky and below the sky and, of course, the solid dome. Hold it, on second thought, aren’t the "waters" above in heaven? So that would mean the "waters above" were out in space somewhere...where there is little to no water that isn’t trapped on or within other bodies (such as comets). Maybe it just means "Heavens" in a broad way. We’re-assuming-a-literal-reading-of-this-right? Or should we approach it symbolically??!!??
WWKHD??!!??
And who cares what he would do?
Okay, sallying forth.
Waters above
Waters below
No land.
To recap:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from nightDay
2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Got it, onwards to day 3.
Day 3 (this shouldn’t have surprised anyone)
9: And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.
Dry Land appears...well, that’s a relief.
10: God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
So that’s where that name came from, I’ve always wondered...I thought maybe it was Greek or Latin or something.
Etymology: Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Greek era. See, Greek!!!!! But, er, no Hebrew? How interesting…well, that’s what happens in translation I guess. One wonders what "God" really called it?
Also note that there has to be some sort of form at this point.
11: And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so.
Is something about this tickling your consciousness about now? Something say…that can’t happen without something else? Photosynthesis maybe? Why, I believe you’re right.
From Merriam-Webster on-line comes this:
pho·to·syn·the·sis
Pronunciation: \-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs\
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
Date: 1898
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially light; especially : formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (as water) in the chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to light
Better living through chemistry, gotta love it...so God tells the earth to make plants, supposedly he makes them to undergo photosynthesis...you know, interact with light from the SUN which well gosh golly, doesn’t exist yet! Hmmm, we’d better insert "then a miracle occurs" here.
Seems like kinda poor planning, even for a miracle, if you ask me. We’d better get that sun mucho quicko...but why not make it first?
Because this is all an allegory by someone who knew nothing about how the universe works, that’s why!!!
Oh, sorry, I’m calm now. Really I am.
12: The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13: And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Okay, what’s the "Big Guy" got against afternoon, lunch and TEA TIME!!??!! What’s going on here?
Day 4 (Did I surprise you? Huh, did I?)
14: And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years,
Well, Finally!
15: and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.
16: And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also.
17: And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
18: to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19: And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
And still no tea time! (Bastard)
(Well, technically he is you know. A bastard. He’s illegitimate, has no father you see...at least according to believers, and not until the New Testament and then he’s the father and son and holy spirit. Sorta a three headed God thingy. Didn’t the Greeks have one of these? A dog named Cerberus? And god is dog spelled backwards...coincidence, It think not! Oops, digressing.)
But we’ve still got that plant sun thingy to contend with. Ah well, maybe he went back and told the earth to "bring forth" again. It doesn’t say that of course but here’s a secret, God talks to me and he told me that’s the way it was. He got distracted on day three and...well...the rest is a secret. And remember, give money to Priests (heh).
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
Day 4: De Plane, De Plane. Little fantasy island joke there...Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis.
Day...5! (The bird and fish day...no, seriously)
20: And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens."
21: So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Great-sea-monsters. He must have been thinking of PZ on this day.
Um...wait a second. "God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves". Every living creature that moves??!!?? Every living creature that moves??!!?? We’re missing a few here. You know, like animals. Mammals, reptiles, those sorts of things? Humans maybe?
And if you read it carefully, he didn’t create them directly. He told the waters to "bring them forth". Sort of a secondary creation here. This is called "Creating by word of God" (also found in the Psalms, 33:6-9) and expresses the ‘Divine One’s’ absolute Lordship (according to the footnote in the hard copy). So either he created them to express his absolute Lordship (dominion, power, that sorta thing) in verse 20, or he created them directly (verse 21). Which is it?
And you expect me to take this inconsistent drivel seriously? It’s not even good fantasy.
22: And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23: And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Hey, sex!
So to recap yet again:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.Day 4: De Plane, De Plane. Little fantasy island joke there...Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis.
Day 5: The bird and fish and great sea monster day (Hooray for our squid overlords) and the first sex (Woo Hoo!).
Shall we sally forth? We shall? Oh thank you.
Day 6 (Beasts of the Earth) - boy, that almost sends a tingle down my spine. Almost.
24: And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.
25: And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
So we’ve got the "Creating by the Word of God" again in Verse 24, and yet Verse 25 indicates that God did it directly. Oh, never mind. (Consistency is the hobgoblin of the small mind, I guess)
So cattle are different than beasts? That’s interesting. Why do they get special mention? They’re pretty dumb animals overall. I wonder if he-who-must-not-be-named was a farmer or shepherd or anything? Or if Moses (I thought Moses was a sheep herder, we’ll get to Exodus soon and can check) thought highly of them. Genesis is part of the Pentateuch and is attributed to Moses…er, but God wrote it through him, sorta an avatar type of thing. You think? Or maybe the information parachuted down out of the ‘firmament’.
26: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
Got that, in his image. His with a capital H.
"In our image" and "after our likeness"
If you designed us, who designed you?
Okay God, you need to talk to your designer, this bipedal motion thing stinks. My metatarstalgia keeps giving me a literal pain in the foot. What a flipping lousy design...and don’t get me started on eyes. Your designer needs a lesson in engineering or was a stand up comic, which is it? And if we were designed in your image couldn’t you have improved a few things? Huh?
So God creates "man"
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Ah, pay close attention here you misogynists. "Male and female he created them". This implies that "man" is used generically for "humans". So much for male superiority. (we get to that in book 2).
Get this from the footnote in my hard copy version "Man, the Hebrew word is "adam"". Hmmm, we’ll see that term or name when we get to Book 2 of Genesis also. "Man, the Hebrew word is "adam", a collective, referring to mankind"
Adam, collective term for mankind. How interesting. How very, very interesting.
28: And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Sex again!!!! You know, if it’s such a sin (we’ll get to the prudish chapters later) why did the "Big Guy" (read as much into that as you want to) create it? Huh? And who does he have sex with? We’re made in his image...er, aren’t we? So one-would-assume that well...you know...
The Greek Gods were actually renowned for their sexual prowess.
Honestly, this isn’t even a very good story. I’ve read fantasy novels that create more believable worlds than Genesis does.
Oh well, let’s keep going.
29: And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.
30: And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.
Except of course, for the ‘apple’ of the tree of knowledge. Er, sorry, getting ahead of ourselves again.
Hold it. Every green plant for food...it stays nothing about animals for food. If he created Lions what were they supposed to eat? Blueberries?
And we’ll get to dozens of food restrictions later, so how can every green plant be for food? How? Why aren’t the restrictions here?
And what about the poisonous plants!!??!!
Oh never mind.
31: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Yeah, yeah, tell me something new.
Day 7 (Zzzzzzzzzzzzz)
Genesis, chapter 2: 1-4
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
3: So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.
So is the day of rest Saturnsday or Sunsday? Inquiring minds want to know.
I find the placement of this one interesting. It was almost as if someone (cough, cough, con artist, cough) decided to insert it here instead of at the end of Chapter 1. Almost like they wanted it to appear to be one seamless story line (cough, cough, crock of bleep, cough).
We’ll get to Creation Story Number 2 after we recap yet again:
Day 1: Light with no sun
Day 2: "Solid dome"
Day 3: photosynthesis without sun.
Day 4: Warp six Scotty! Er, big flaming nuclear reaction in the sky.
Day 5: Squid Sex!
Day 6: Human Sex!
Day 7: Resting from the sex.
Awe inspiring, isn’t it?
Okay, continue with the first Book of Moses commonly called Genesis.
Genesis, chapter 2
Day 7 (continued from Geneses 1)
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
3: So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.
And not forgetting, of course, the earth and seas who did work for him (Gen 1:11 and Gen 1:20)...but did they get to rest? Noooooooo...
End Day 7...a new beginning?
4: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
"These are the generations..." it appears that we’re starting another story here. Are we? Well, let’s find out.
So, just to make sure we’re all on the "same page" here. In the day God made the earth and the heavens. Making of earth and heavens. Check. Now pay close attention here.
5: when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Eeek, erk, say that again?
5: when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Okay, just checking. “...for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth,". No rain, no water, but if we meander back to Genesis 1 we find the opposite:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
In Genesis 1 the water comes first, remember that formless void where ... "the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters"?????
Sigh, let’s continue, shall we? We shan’t? Sorry, that wasn’t really an option.
Clearly this is a distinct story from Chapter 1, written by a different group of people. Most religious scholars admit this. First of all, the style of the writing is much different - that in Chapter 2 is much more flowing. It should be mentioned that there have been numerous scholarly articles and lay articles written on these texts and their interpretations, and I’ve read many of them. If I borrow something directly I’ll do my best to reference it, and if I remember a concept from somewhere that wouldn’t have come to me on my own likewise...otherwise, I’ll just plod through and will be left wondering where I first encountered an idea or whether it was actually my own. The beauty of blogs.
So which version shall we believe? Number 1 or Number 2? How about flippin’ a coin?
Now on a web site awhile back (that I can’t find now) some author tried to claim that there were no inconsistencies, since those items in Genesis 2 only discussed what happened on Day 6. Only on Day 6. I’ll get to why this argument fails by the end of this post. I bet you can hardly wait.
6: but a mist...sorry to interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast but a mist is also known as a "flood"...went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
So it appears that we finally have water appearing. Earth first, then water, this would make sense if the people WHO WROTE THE STORY lived in a fertile plain like the oh...FERTILE CRESCENT.
Sorry, had to get that out.
Even with my limited geographical ability I remember reading that in these areas the river valleys would flood periodically, bringing in silt and other nutrients to the agricultural areas and effectively fertilizing them.
I also remember, I think this was from College, that Genesis 1 shows clear signs of being written by a nomadic people, and Genesis 2 by an agricultural people. Scratch that, a quick search pulled up a Wikipedia article that states "Mainstream Biblical scholarship maintains that the creation story found in Genesis 2 is the earlier of the two Genesis accounts. Filled with ancient and rich imagery, it is believed that the basic story once circulated among the early nomadic Hebrews". One has to be careful with Wikipedia but that does appear accurate. Also, "Most Biblical scholars believe that the Genesis 1 account can be attributed to the so-called "priestly" writer(s)/editor(s) (known in academic circles as "P") who was responsible for a fair portion of the Pentateuch." After twenty years I need to blow off quite a bit of dust but it’s coming back. Let’s get back to the text, okay?
7: then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
8: And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9: And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Okay, hold it, we’re back to the ordering of how things happened again. Scratch that, first tell me when all the non-pleasant plants appeared that were not good for food? After the "fall"? I know, I know, let’s stick to the text.
The ordering of things according to Genesis 1.
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
Day 4: Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis. (note how the sun and the moon were totally absent in Genesis 2)
Day 5: Birds, Fish and great sea monsters. (see Oh Really!!! - Part 1 for the sex references)
Day 6: Beasts of the earth, "adam" as in the generic "man" sense as in humans.
Can we reconcile the two accounts? Let’s try...(I’m ignoring the "days" here and just listing them in order of appearance).
Unfortunately, I haven't figured out whether I can insert a table into Blogger so this is going to look very, very rough but I'll try.
Gen 1 Day from Night; waters (Day 1)
Gen 2 Earth and Heavens
Gen 1 Firmament (waters above; waters below) - (Day 2)
Gen 2 Mist/flood/water
Gen 1 Lands, Seas, Plants (Day 3)
Gen 2 Man (as in male)
Gen 1 Sun, Moon (Day 4)
Gen 2 Garden of Eden
Gen 1 Birds, Fishes, Sea Monsters (Day 5)
Gen 2 Plants, trees, good and evil
Gen 1 Beasts, then "Man" (Day 6)
Gen 2 Beasts & Birds
Gen 1 Rest (Day 7)
Gen 2 Woman (I know we haven’t gotten there yet...yeesh)
(I don't intend to imply that Gen 2 is separated by "days", merely to compare the ordering of the two chapters).
No, I can’t reconcile them either, just checking. And this did not all occur in Genesis 2 on Day 6, it just isn’t possible for someone with an ounce (well, maybe two ounces) of rational sense to draw that conclusion. On Day 3 we have lands, seas and plants appearing, then Day 5 comes Birds and Fish (probably PZs favorite day), then on Day 6 Beasts appearing before man. For Genesis 2 to all "have occurred" on Day 6 means that everything in Genesis 1 is wrong which it well...is based on the scientific evidence but so is Genesis 2 for that matter. This doesn’t even include the Earth and Heavens and Water conundrum. I’m beginning to wonder how carefully Christians who actually read the Bible well...actually read it. Oh, never mind (a "Church Lady" reference from the old Saturday Night Live).
10: A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11: The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12: and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.
13: The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush.
14: And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
This is an interesting insertion. First, why in the world would a Supreme being care whether a land has gold, bdellium (gum resin similar to myrrh obtained from various trees (and just for you Beccarii...genus Commiphora) of the East Indies and Africa) or onyx? I mean, he put them there, right? If he wanted them, make more. Also, if no one was supposed to leave Eden...maybe it was a Moses insertion again (though why God let him tinker is beyond me), or a divine Parachute intervention miracle. Second, knew we’d get here eventually, the rivers are main ones in the Middle East and, according to the footnote "...flowed out to the four corners of the known historical world. "
Known-historical-world. Right. Got it.
North America, God didn’t know about it. Ditto on South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Siberia. Nix, not there or not known. Glad we cleared that up.
The Beginning of the Fall (this is called a spoiler in case you were wondering)
15: The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
17: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
No eata the tree of knowledge. And I command you my follower...be DUMB FOREVER!
Bwahahahahahaha.
But wait, what do we have here in Gen 1:29 "And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food."
Yep, consistency. Yessirree Bob. Maybe the tree of knowledge had no seeds. It doesn’t say that of course, but that’s gotta be the answer. Yessirree Bob.
Also, take a close look at the wording. "And the LORD God commanded the man". This is a clear indication of God’s lordship and man’s obedience. Blind obedience, no chance for discussion or compromise (as we’ll see) or chance to appeal. Obey...or else.
Sounds a lot like slavery.
And "...or in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Keep this in mind, we’ll get back to it.
Finally, the woman
18: Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Well, sorta. We’ll have some false starts but the almighty, omnipotent and omniscient one will get it right eventually.
19: So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
I name you "Dodo", yep, that’s what I name you. And "I shall call you squishy, and you will be mine, and you will be my squishy" (Dory in Disney’s "Finding Nemo"®)
And the dinosaurs! Here’s where he created the dinosaurs! Er, didn’t he? Oh, never mind. WWKHD?
20: The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.
Hey you, you black and white one, you’re gonna be "George", and you other one, you’re "Fred" and I’m gonna call you "Stupid" because I don’t like you. Got that?
Right. I’m done now, seriously. Okay, maybe not.
Cattle? Cattle? Have you ever noticed how the writings seem to reflect the prejudices of the Priests? No? Me either but I was just wondering.
"...but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him"
Almighty, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Yep, A, O and O or AOO for short. Or is it AOOI? The I is for impotent?
He makes "man" and thinks cattle or birds or beasts would make a "fit helper". Well, power or intelligence don’t always equate to common sense. But a God??? (insert Church Lady reference here).
There is something to be said for the "soap operas" in the Greek, Roman and Norse religions, at least they’re entertaining to read.
21: So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
22: and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23: Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Sleep to Rib to Woman. Got it.
"Closed up with Flesh". I hope there was some tissue & Muscle in there too...or didn’t the writer know any anatomy either?
And, of course, men have one less rib than women because one was "removed". Well, actually, no they don’t - they’re equal in this respect also. This is an urban legend passed around in Christianity circles but several Christian web sites (do a Google) try to burst the myth. One states "Although the Bible is not specific, either Adam lived the rest of his life with one less rib or God healed him, causing the rib to grow back. It probably did not affect his health since Adam lived to the ripe old age of 930 (Genesis 5:5)." Sure, okay, but they admit this urban legend is not true so credit where credit is due.
24: Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Hey Sex!!!! But "cleaves to his wife"...I’ve never really thought of it in that manner before. I don’t think I will ever think of it in that manner. I like to consider it a joining of equals who care for one another and this adds to their relationship. A way of bringing each other pleasure intimately. Or is that considered too liberal? It is? Good!
"...cleave to her..." also implies it’s a bit one-sided and I find that abhorrent. Maybe I’m reading too much into this section, let’s move on.
Or not. What about the possibility of children? There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how "sinful" it is to have sex without the possibility of children. But they’re in the garden, and this is before the fall...are we sure they even "know each other" here? In the Biblical sense? It sure appears to based on a literal reading. So is God preventing them from conceiving? Then he’s committing murder. Is she conceiving but miscarrying? Ditto. Is the possibility of children not there yet until the fall? That’s not mentioned anywhere. Are they just not having sex? Well, it says they are.
Also in the footnote to 25 it says "sex is not regarded as evil". Well, someone should have told Paul that (warp ahead to the New Testament), the misogynist, and other groups (cough, cough, catholic monks and nuns, cough), for they sure make it seem like it’s evil and a "sin"; even in marriage if "making a child" is not the reason for having sex. A natural impulse, or even God given impulse, that draws two people together doesn’t seem to enter into their thinking.
"...become one flesh..." Symbolically perhaps but even that’s a bit of a stretch, and certainly not literally. Remember, everything is LITERALLY true. You bet it is.
25: And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Good for them.
So to Recap and Compare Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Also see this web site I just found that also compares the stories.
Gen 1 Day from Night; waters (Day 1)
Gen 2 Earth and Heavens
Gen 1 Firmament (waters above; waters below) - (Day 2)
Gen 2 Mist/flood/water
Gen 1 Lands, Seas, Plants (Day 3)
Gen 2 Man (as in male)
Gen 1 Sun, Moon (Day 4)
Gen 2 Garden of Eden
Gen 1 Birds, Fishes, Sea Monsters (Day 5)
Gen 2 Plants, trees, good and evil
Gen 1 Beasts, then "Man" (Day 6)
Gen 2 Beasts & Birds
Gen 1 Rest (Day 7)
Gen 2 Woman
Yep, completely consistent, including writing styles and it once again shows that whoever wrote these books knew little to nothing about how the universe really works.
Simplistic, mysoginist, inconsistent and bearing no resemblance to what actual scientific evidence shows. Just what we've come to expect from the 'holy of holies'.
And I’m supposed to believe this...why?
So WWKHD? He watched the movie or heard a voice that said "If you build it they will come" and he will fleece them when they do.
In honor of PZ’s challenge "Anyone up for a Creation Museum Carnival" I say why yes, I am, and have dusted off and updated a couple of posts on Genesis 1 and 2 and combined them here. What better way to celebrate the opening of "Ken Ham's fabulously low-rent sideshow attraction of pseudoscience" than to peruse those chapters in that oh so full of holes book that gives him ‘inspiration’.
But first an inspirational quote to sent the tone "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes an act of rebellion." (George Orwell)
Feel inspired? I knew you would. The first Book of Moses commonly called Genesis. From the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha Expanded Edition Revised Standard Version (the NOABAEERSE...heh). All excerpts were copied from this site, and checked for accuracy against my hard copy.
Genesis, chapter 1
Day 1
1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2: The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters.
3: And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4: And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5: God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Yeah, uh-huh, sure. So we have heaven and earth without form...how do you have earth without form? No, seriously, how do you have a planet without form? Even if we’re talking a cosmic dust cloud here, there would be some form. Now you might claim the earth hadn’t been "formed" yet. Fair enough, but "...the spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters..." Face of the water implies something was there...you know, like "the face of the waters", which implies form. How do you have water without form? All right, all right, I’ll stop picking nits and move on.
So we have light "created" and, of course, the "light was good". And remember to give money to Priests (er, scratch that, getting ahead of myself).
"The light was good". The light was day and the darkness was light...but we have no source of light. As we’ll see below, the sun is missing in action for three more days. We have light but no sun.
I just want to make that clear. Light, no Sun. Got it!
Day 2 (suspenseful, isn’t it?)
6: And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
Just so we’re on the same "page" here, firmament is a "Solid dome" (at least according to the sources I’ve read, including the footnotes in the NOABAEERSE...heh. You may now return to your regularly scheduled reading.
This is actually important in a moment...oops, sorry. Just ignore me now.
7: And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.
8: And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
Wheew, that was a quick day, wasn’t it. So the firmament is actually a solid dome, as in a dome in the sky. Um...I don’t know how to tell you this Almighty one, but there is no solid dome above us. Nope, nada, it’s not there. The atmosphere gets thinner the higher we go up, it is not solid.
Uh, yeah, why do we have someone who flunked basic science making a universe?
Well, okay, let’s keep going.
The firmament separated the waters above (I assume clouds, rain, etc.) from the waters below (you know, those seas without form). We now have the sky and below the sky and, of course, the solid dome. Hold it, on second thought, aren’t the "waters" above in heaven? So that would mean the "waters above" were out in space somewhere...where there is little to no water that isn’t trapped on or within other bodies (such as comets). Maybe it just means "Heavens" in a broad way. We’re-assuming-a-literal-reading-of-this-right? Or should we approach it symbolically??!!??
WWKHD??!!??
And who cares what he would do?
Okay, sallying forth.
Waters above
Waters below
No land.
To recap:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from nightDay
2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Got it, onwards to day 3.
Day 3 (this shouldn’t have surprised anyone)
9: And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.
Dry Land appears...well, that’s a relief.
10: God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
So that’s where that name came from, I’ve always wondered...I thought maybe it was Greek or Latin or something.
Etymology: Middle English erthe, from Old English eorthe; akin to Old High German erda earth, Greek era. See, Greek!!!!! But, er, no Hebrew? How interesting…well, that’s what happens in translation I guess. One wonders what "God" really called it?
Also note that there has to be some sort of form at this point.
11: And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so.
Is something about this tickling your consciousness about now? Something say…that can’t happen without something else? Photosynthesis maybe? Why, I believe you’re right.
From Merriam-Webster on-line comes this:
pho·to·syn·the·sis
Pronunciation: \-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs\
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin
Date: 1898
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially light; especially : formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (as water) in the chlorophyll-containing tissues of plants exposed to light
Better living through chemistry, gotta love it...so God tells the earth to make plants, supposedly he makes them to undergo photosynthesis...you know, interact with light from the SUN which well gosh golly, doesn’t exist yet! Hmmm, we’d better insert "then a miracle occurs" here.
Seems like kinda poor planning, even for a miracle, if you ask me. We’d better get that sun mucho quicko...but why not make it first?
Because this is all an allegory by someone who knew nothing about how the universe works, that’s why!!!
Oh, sorry, I’m calm now. Really I am.
12: The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13: And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Okay, what’s the "Big Guy" got against afternoon, lunch and TEA TIME!!??!! What’s going on here?
Day 4 (Did I surprise you? Huh, did I?)
14: And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years,
Well, Finally!
15: and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.
16: And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also.
17: And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth,
18: to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19: And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
And still no tea time! (Bastard)
(Well, technically he is you know. A bastard. He’s illegitimate, has no father you see...at least according to believers, and not until the New Testament and then he’s the father and son and holy spirit. Sorta a three headed God thingy. Didn’t the Greeks have one of these? A dog named Cerberus? And god is dog spelled backwards...coincidence, It think not! Oops, digressing.)
But we’ve still got that plant sun thingy to contend with. Ah well, maybe he went back and told the earth to "bring forth" again. It doesn’t say that of course but here’s a secret, God talks to me and he told me that’s the way it was. He got distracted on day three and...well...the rest is a secret. And remember, give money to Priests (heh).
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
Day 4: De Plane, De Plane. Little fantasy island joke there...Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis.
Day...5! (The bird and fish day...no, seriously)
20: And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens."
21: So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Great-sea-monsters. He must have been thinking of PZ on this day.
Um...wait a second. "God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves". Every living creature that moves??!!?? Every living creature that moves??!!?? We’re missing a few here. You know, like animals. Mammals, reptiles, those sorts of things? Humans maybe?
And if you read it carefully, he didn’t create them directly. He told the waters to "bring them forth". Sort of a secondary creation here. This is called "Creating by word of God" (also found in the Psalms, 33:6-9) and expresses the ‘Divine One’s’ absolute Lordship (according to the footnote in the hard copy). So either he created them to express his absolute Lordship (dominion, power, that sorta thing) in verse 20, or he created them directly (verse 21). Which is it?
And you expect me to take this inconsistent drivel seriously? It’s not even good fantasy.
22: And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth."
23: And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Hey, sex!
So to recap yet again:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.Day 4: De Plane, De Plane. Little fantasy island joke there...Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis.
Day 5: The bird and fish and great sea monster day (Hooray for our squid overlords) and the first sex (Woo Hoo!).
Shall we sally forth? We shall? Oh thank you.
Day 6 (Beasts of the Earth) - boy, that almost sends a tingle down my spine. Almost.
24: And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.
25: And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
So we’ve got the "Creating by the Word of God" again in Verse 24, and yet Verse 25 indicates that God did it directly. Oh, never mind. (Consistency is the hobgoblin of the small mind, I guess)
So cattle are different than beasts? That’s interesting. Why do they get special mention? They’re pretty dumb animals overall. I wonder if he-who-must-not-be-named was a farmer or shepherd or anything? Or if Moses (I thought Moses was a sheep herder, we’ll get to Exodus soon and can check) thought highly of them. Genesis is part of the Pentateuch and is attributed to Moses…er, but God wrote it through him, sorta an avatar type of thing. You think? Or maybe the information parachuted down out of the ‘firmament’.
26: Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth."
Got that, in his image. His with a capital H.
"In our image" and "after our likeness"
If you designed us, who designed you?
Okay God, you need to talk to your designer, this bipedal motion thing stinks. My metatarstalgia keeps giving me a literal pain in the foot. What a flipping lousy design...and don’t get me started on eyes. Your designer needs a lesson in engineering or was a stand up comic, which is it? And if we were designed in your image couldn’t you have improved a few things? Huh?
So God creates "man"
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Ah, pay close attention here you misogynists. "Male and female he created them". This implies that "man" is used generically for "humans". So much for male superiority. (we get to that in book 2).
Get this from the footnote in my hard copy version "Man, the Hebrew word is "adam"". Hmmm, we’ll see that term or name when we get to Book 2 of Genesis also. "Man, the Hebrew word is "adam", a collective, referring to mankind"
Adam, collective term for mankind. How interesting. How very, very interesting.
28: And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."
Sex again!!!! You know, if it’s such a sin (we’ll get to the prudish chapters later) why did the "Big Guy" (read as much into that as you want to) create it? Huh? And who does he have sex with? We’re made in his image...er, aren’t we? So one-would-assume that well...you know...
The Greek Gods were actually renowned for their sexual prowess.
Honestly, this isn’t even a very good story. I’ve read fantasy novels that create more believable worlds than Genesis does.
Oh well, let’s keep going.
29: And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.
30: And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so.
Except of course, for the ‘apple’ of the tree of knowledge. Er, sorry, getting ahead of ourselves again.
Hold it. Every green plant for food...it stays nothing about animals for food. If he created Lions what were they supposed to eat? Blueberries?
And we’ll get to dozens of food restrictions later, so how can every green plant be for food? How? Why aren’t the restrictions here?
And what about the poisonous plants!!??!!
Oh never mind.
31: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Yeah, yeah, tell me something new.
Day 7 (Zzzzzzzzzzzzz)
Genesis, chapter 2: 1-4
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
3: So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.
So is the day of rest Saturnsday or Sunsday? Inquiring minds want to know.
I find the placement of this one interesting. It was almost as if someone (cough, cough, con artist, cough) decided to insert it here instead of at the end of Chapter 1. Almost like they wanted it to appear to be one seamless story line (cough, cough, crock of bleep, cough).
We’ll get to Creation Story Number 2 after we recap yet again:
Day 1: Light with no sun
Day 2: "Solid dome"
Day 3: photosynthesis without sun.
Day 4: Warp six Scotty! Er, big flaming nuclear reaction in the sky.
Day 5: Squid Sex!
Day 6: Human Sex!
Day 7: Resting from the sex.
Awe inspiring, isn’t it?
Okay, continue with the first Book of Moses commonly called Genesis.
Genesis, chapter 2
Day 7 (continued from Geneses 1)
1: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2: And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done.
3: So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation.
And not forgetting, of course, the earth and seas who did work for him (Gen 1:11 and Gen 1:20)...but did they get to rest? Noooooooo...
End Day 7...a new beginning?
4: These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,
"These are the generations..." it appears that we’re starting another story here. Are we? Well, let’s find out.
So, just to make sure we’re all on the "same page" here. In the day God made the earth and the heavens. Making of earth and heavens. Check. Now pay close attention here.
5: when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Eeek, erk, say that again?
5: when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground;
Okay, just checking. “...for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth,". No rain, no water, but if we meander back to Genesis 1 we find the opposite:
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
In Genesis 1 the water comes first, remember that formless void where ... "the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters"?????
Sigh, let’s continue, shall we? We shan’t? Sorry, that wasn’t really an option.
Clearly this is a distinct story from Chapter 1, written by a different group of people. Most religious scholars admit this. First of all, the style of the writing is much different - that in Chapter 2 is much more flowing. It should be mentioned that there have been numerous scholarly articles and lay articles written on these texts and their interpretations, and I’ve read many of them. If I borrow something directly I’ll do my best to reference it, and if I remember a concept from somewhere that wouldn’t have come to me on my own likewise...otherwise, I’ll just plod through and will be left wondering where I first encountered an idea or whether it was actually my own. The beauty of blogs.
So which version shall we believe? Number 1 or Number 2? How about flippin’ a coin?
Now on a web site awhile back (that I can’t find now) some author tried to claim that there were no inconsistencies, since those items in Genesis 2 only discussed what happened on Day 6. Only on Day 6. I’ll get to why this argument fails by the end of this post. I bet you can hardly wait.
6: but a mist...sorry to interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast but a mist is also known as a "flood"...went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
So it appears that we finally have water appearing. Earth first, then water, this would make sense if the people WHO WROTE THE STORY lived in a fertile plain like the oh...FERTILE CRESCENT.
Sorry, had to get that out.
Even with my limited geographical ability I remember reading that in these areas the river valleys would flood periodically, bringing in silt and other nutrients to the agricultural areas and effectively fertilizing them.
I also remember, I think this was from College, that Genesis 1 shows clear signs of being written by a nomadic people, and Genesis 2 by an agricultural people. Scratch that, a quick search pulled up a Wikipedia article that states "Mainstream Biblical scholarship maintains that the creation story found in Genesis 2 is the earlier of the two Genesis accounts. Filled with ancient and rich imagery, it is believed that the basic story once circulated among the early nomadic Hebrews". One has to be careful with Wikipedia but that does appear accurate. Also, "Most Biblical scholars believe that the Genesis 1 account can be attributed to the so-called "priestly" writer(s)/editor(s) (known in academic circles as "P") who was responsible for a fair portion of the Pentateuch." After twenty years I need to blow off quite a bit of dust but it’s coming back. Let’s get back to the text, okay?
7: then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
8: And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
9: And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Okay, hold it, we’re back to the ordering of how things happened again. Scratch that, first tell me when all the non-pleasant plants appeared that were not good for food? After the "fall"? I know, I know, let’s stick to the text.
The ordering of things according to Genesis 1.
Day 1: Light with no sun separates day from night
Day 2: Firmament separates water above from water below.
Day 3: Land, seas, plants.
Day 4: Sun, Moon and presumably photosynthesis. (note how the sun and the moon were totally absent in Genesis 2)
Day 5: Birds, Fish and great sea monsters. (see Oh Really!!! - Part 1 for the sex references)
Day 6: Beasts of the earth, "adam" as in the generic "man" sense as in humans.
Can we reconcile the two accounts? Let’s try...(I’m ignoring the "days" here and just listing them in order of appearance).
Unfortunately, I haven't figured out whether I can insert a table into Blogger so this is going to look very, very rough but I'll try.
Gen 1 Day from Night; waters (Day 1)
Gen 2 Earth and Heavens
Gen 1 Firmament (waters above; waters below) - (Day 2)
Gen 2 Mist/flood/water
Gen 1 Lands, Seas, Plants (Day 3)
Gen 2 Man (as in male)
Gen 1 Sun, Moon (Day 4)
Gen 2 Garden of Eden
Gen 1 Birds, Fishes, Sea Monsters (Day 5)
Gen 2 Plants, trees, good and evil
Gen 1 Beasts, then "Man" (Day 6)
Gen 2 Beasts & Birds
Gen 1 Rest (Day 7)
Gen 2 Woman (I know we haven’t gotten there yet...yeesh)
(I don't intend to imply that Gen 2 is separated by "days", merely to compare the ordering of the two chapters).
No, I can’t reconcile them either, just checking. And this did not all occur in Genesis 2 on Day 6, it just isn’t possible for someone with an ounce (well, maybe two ounces) of rational sense to draw that conclusion. On Day 3 we have lands, seas and plants appearing, then Day 5 comes Birds and Fish (probably PZs favorite day), then on Day 6 Beasts appearing before man. For Genesis 2 to all "have occurred" on Day 6 means that everything in Genesis 1 is wrong which it well...is based on the scientific evidence but so is Genesis 2 for that matter. This doesn’t even include the Earth and Heavens and Water conundrum. I’m beginning to wonder how carefully Christians who actually read the Bible well...actually read it. Oh, never mind (a "Church Lady" reference from the old Saturday Night Live).
10: A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11: The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
12: and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there.
13: The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush.
14: And the name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
This is an interesting insertion. First, why in the world would a Supreme being care whether a land has gold, bdellium (gum resin similar to myrrh obtained from various trees (and just for you Beccarii...genus Commiphora) of the East Indies and Africa) or onyx? I mean, he put them there, right? If he wanted them, make more. Also, if no one was supposed to leave Eden...maybe it was a Moses insertion again (though why God let him tinker is beyond me), or a divine Parachute intervention miracle. Second, knew we’d get here eventually, the rivers are main ones in the Middle East and, according to the footnote "...flowed out to the four corners of the known historical world. "
Known-historical-world. Right. Got it.
North America, God didn’t know about it. Ditto on South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Antarctica, Siberia. Nix, not there or not known. Glad we cleared that up.
The Beginning of the Fall (this is called a spoiler in case you were wondering)
15: The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
16: And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;
17: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die."
No eata the tree of knowledge. And I command you my follower...be DUMB FOREVER!
Bwahahahahahaha.
But wait, what do we have here in Gen 1:29 "And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food."
Yep, consistency. Yessirree Bob. Maybe the tree of knowledge had no seeds. It doesn’t say that of course, but that’s gotta be the answer. Yessirree Bob.
Also, take a close look at the wording. "And the LORD God commanded the man". This is a clear indication of God’s lordship and man’s obedience. Blind obedience, no chance for discussion or compromise (as we’ll see) or chance to appeal. Obey...or else.
Sounds a lot like slavery.
And "...or in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Keep this in mind, we’ll get back to it.
Finally, the woman
18: Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Well, sorta. We’ll have some false starts but the almighty, omnipotent and omniscient one will get it right eventually.
19: So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
I name you "Dodo", yep, that’s what I name you. And "I shall call you squishy, and you will be mine, and you will be my squishy" (Dory in Disney’s "Finding Nemo"®)
And the dinosaurs! Here’s where he created the dinosaurs! Er, didn’t he? Oh, never mind. WWKHD?
20: The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.
Hey you, you black and white one, you’re gonna be "George", and you other one, you’re "Fred" and I’m gonna call you "Stupid" because I don’t like you. Got that?
Right. I’m done now, seriously. Okay, maybe not.
Cattle? Cattle? Have you ever noticed how the writings seem to reflect the prejudices of the Priests? No? Me either but I was just wondering.
"...but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him"
Almighty, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Yep, A, O and O or AOO for short. Or is it AOOI? The I is for impotent?
He makes "man" and thinks cattle or birds or beasts would make a "fit helper". Well, power or intelligence don’t always equate to common sense. But a God??? (insert Church Lady reference here).
There is something to be said for the "soap operas" in the Greek, Roman and Norse religions, at least they’re entertaining to read.
21: So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
22: and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23: Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Sleep to Rib to Woman. Got it.
"Closed up with Flesh". I hope there was some tissue & Muscle in there too...or didn’t the writer know any anatomy either?
And, of course, men have one less rib than women because one was "removed". Well, actually, no they don’t - they’re equal in this respect also. This is an urban legend passed around in Christianity circles but several Christian web sites (do a Google) try to burst the myth. One states "Although the Bible is not specific, either Adam lived the rest of his life with one less rib or God healed him, causing the rib to grow back. It probably did not affect his health since Adam lived to the ripe old age of 930 (Genesis 5:5)." Sure, okay, but they admit this urban legend is not true so credit where credit is due.
24: Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Hey Sex!!!! But "cleaves to his wife"...I’ve never really thought of it in that manner before. I don’t think I will ever think of it in that manner. I like to consider it a joining of equals who care for one another and this adds to their relationship. A way of bringing each other pleasure intimately. Or is that considered too liberal? It is? Good!
"...cleave to her..." also implies it’s a bit one-sided and I find that abhorrent. Maybe I’m reading too much into this section, let’s move on.
Or not. What about the possibility of children? There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how "sinful" it is to have sex without the possibility of children. But they’re in the garden, and this is before the fall...are we sure they even "know each other" here? In the Biblical sense? It sure appears to based on a literal reading. So is God preventing them from conceiving? Then he’s committing murder. Is she conceiving but miscarrying? Ditto. Is the possibility of children not there yet until the fall? That’s not mentioned anywhere. Are they just not having sex? Well, it says they are.
Also in the footnote to 25 it says "sex is not regarded as evil". Well, someone should have told Paul that (warp ahead to the New Testament), the misogynist, and other groups (cough, cough, catholic monks and nuns, cough), for they sure make it seem like it’s evil and a "sin"; even in marriage if "making a child" is not the reason for having sex. A natural impulse, or even God given impulse, that draws two people together doesn’t seem to enter into their thinking.
"...become one flesh..." Symbolically perhaps but even that’s a bit of a stretch, and certainly not literally. Remember, everything is LITERALLY true. You bet it is.
25: And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Good for them.
So to Recap and Compare Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. Also see this web site I just found that also compares the stories.
Gen 1 Day from Night; waters (Day 1)
Gen 2 Earth and Heavens
Gen 1 Firmament (waters above; waters below) - (Day 2)
Gen 2 Mist/flood/water
Gen 1 Lands, Seas, Plants (Day 3)
Gen 2 Man (as in male)
Gen 1 Sun, Moon (Day 4)
Gen 2 Garden of Eden
Gen 1 Birds, Fishes, Sea Monsters (Day 5)
Gen 2 Plants, trees, good and evil
Gen 1 Beasts, then "Man" (Day 6)
Gen 2 Beasts & Birds
Gen 1 Rest (Day 7)
Gen 2 Woman
Yep, completely consistent, including writing styles and it once again shows that whoever wrote these books knew little to nothing about how the universe really works.
Simplistic, mysoginist, inconsistent and bearing no resemblance to what actual scientific evidence shows. Just what we've come to expect from the 'holy of holies'.
And I’m supposed to believe this...why?
So WWKHD? He watched the movie or heard a voice that said "If you build it they will come" and he will fleece them when they do.
Labels: Biblical Criticism
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