of Serious Thoughts: Taliban & Genesis

of Serious Thoughts: Taliban & Genesis:   Now that the Taliban has returned to power in Afghanistan, girls over 13 are once again denied education and all women’s freedom is restri...

Taliban & Genesis

 Now that the Taliban has returned to power in Afghanistan, girls over 13 are once again denied education and all women’s freedom is restricted.  There, women and girls are regarded as chattel to be controlled by men.  That was the ‘norm’ of all history prior to the 20^TH Century.

 

As humanity gradually inches toward enlightenment, we now see horrible mistakes make in the name of ‘progress’.

   --historically, kingdoms sent adventurers to find and conquer ‘new lands’; then, subjugating the natives, claimed the territory for their far-away monarchs. 

   --in the 1600’s, an emerging ‘industry’ was designed to capture and restrain dark-skinned humans, then transport them across the ocean to sell them to white slave-owners.

  --in the mid1900’s, a nation perceiving itself as ‘superior’, rounded up other humans deemed ‘inferior’; then devising a ‘final solution, gassed and burned them in incinerators.

 

Ever since the earliest institution of government, women were not included.  That position came to be known as: Patriarchy—a system of society or government in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded.  In our time the Taliban demonstrates that.

 

In general, men and women have different fundamental perspectives on life.  Individually, points-of-view vary across the spectrum, but taken as a whole, males tend to value power and control; while females value nurturing and compassion.  Each perspective has its value, but it was patriarchy that determined the unfolding of civilization.  By having excluded the ‘female voice’ from participating in shaping the world, our world has become distorted.  That is not to suggest either voice is superior . . . the problem came from males believing their voice was superior, and disavowed the female voice.

 

 

Bible stories tell of how people of that time sought to understand their world.  They lacked science and used story-telling to explain life.  Because it was only males in control, stories were heavily male oriented.  We wonder how the stories might have been different if the story-tellers were women.  How might a woman have told the story of Genesis?                                                                    

 

 

          If we look at Genesis (2 & 3)—the very beginning of scripture—as written, the story is told of God placing the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the center of the Garden of Eden and forbidding the human couple to eat of the fruit . . . but Satan tempts them, saying they will be like God if they eat the fruit.  The woman picks the fruit and eats, then gives it to the man to eat . . . (here we see the male author blaming women for original sin . . . and thus justifying millenniums of oppression of women and establishing the superiority of the male gender) and then we see God, learning they disobeyed him, so in anger, he curses them and their children and drives them from the Garden.

 

 

Had a woman told the story in Genesis, it would have gone differently . . . 

 

 

Retelling the Story 

 

 

          In the beginning, God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the garden, saying to the human couple it was their choice to eat or not; but for their own good he cautioned them not eat it because it was the nature of The Garden to hold only the good, so if they ate of the fruit and came to know evil (it would become part of them) they would have to leave. They would then have to make their own way in the world.

          When Satan told them that if they ate the fruit they’d know all things like God, Adam became restless.  He wanted to be like God.  He was curious, ‘what was this thing called evil?’ and he longed to see that world beyond the Garden.  He talked of adventure to Eve, how exciting it would be to explore the unknown.  She’d listen and agree that it sounded interesting, but she was more content with the garden and it didn’t seem wise to go against God’s advice.  One day as they sat under the tree Adam said:

          “Eve, reach up and pick me one of the fruit.”

          “I think that’s not a good idea” she said.

          He laughed and said, “Come on, Hun, trust me, it will be OK.”

          “But God said not to”

          “No, God just advised against it—and how do we know what we are missing if we don’t’ try it?”

          “No, we shouldn’t” she pleaded.

          “Come on, if you really love me you’ll do it.”

          “Well,  . . . I don’t know.”

          “Go ahead, just pick one.  That one right above your head.”

          As she reached up gingerly, he said, “Great going, Hon!  Now take a bite and give it to me.”  She did.

          After a while as the awareness of evil seeped into them, they knew they could no longer live there.  Together they walked out of the garden; God watched with great sadness as they left, knowing the tribulation ahead.

 

of Serious Thoughts: Fraying Bonds of Civility

of Serious Thoughts: Fraying Bonds of Civility: In listening to a tape on the Buddha which quoted a phrase of his; ‘the bonds of civility are fraying’—signaling a danger to social order—I ...

Fraying Bonds of Civility

In listening to a tape on the Buddha which quoted a phrase of his; ‘the bonds of civility are fraying’—signaling a danger to social order—I realized that speaks to our culture.  The bonds of civility refer to the invisible agreed upon ethics and etiquette which support civilization.  Our world is under a great many stresses . . . covid pandemic, climate change, and society’s polarization to name a few.  They strain our ability to cope.

 

During WWII the U.S. pulled together magnificently, but that unity of purpose has long since disappeared.  Today we are divided, polarized, and implacable.  The multiple crises are magnifying our unrest.  We are in peril.  The demise can be seen in everything from the increase in gun violence, to disruptive passengers on airplanes, to most pointedly—the fight over mask wearing to prevent the spread of the covid pandemic.  Covid is an airborne virus which is spread by coughing, sneezing, talking, and simply breathing.  It has been demonstrated scientifically that wearing face coverings sharply reduces the spread.  We don’t know who is carrying the virus and masks are to protect the general population (as well as the self);  it is in the interest of supporting civilization that it is done.  To make it a personal rebellion, demonstrates an unwillingness to support the public good for selfish reasons.  Even as a very young child during the war effort, I was aware that ‘everyone must do their part’ . . . we fail our children by not conveying that message.

 

Society’s polarization has increased by a deliberately manufactured lie—that the election was stolen—which is being peddled as ‘Truth.’   Although proven to be a lie, it is still being supported by many.  Few thing can be more dangerous to social order than a significant falsehood be loudly proclaimed as truth.  

 

The ‘bonds of civility’ are rooted in morality.  Morality is defined as: principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong, good and bad, truth and falsehood . . . leading to a system of values and principles of conduct.  Morality’s roots are inherent in human consciousness, but it requires nurturing—we choose to keep it flourishing . . . or don’t!   When we fail to choose for the greater good, we are fraying the bonds of civility.

of Serious Thoughts: World in Distress

of Serious Thoughts: World in Distress: Our world is in distress.     We have experienced unprecedented life-threatening high temperatures in the 100’s for days on end.      Drough...

Butterflies

This month it seems that we all need some lightness . . . so I’m going with my butterflies.  I have milkweed growing near my house.   A few years ago I noticed several Monarch caterpillars on the leaves (Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed) and I decided to watch them develop.  The next day when I went out to see them, there were only two left . . . the birds must have gotten them.  I decided to take the remaining two to the safety of my house.  In a tall clear container I put a cut stem of milkweed in a cup of water—it became their nursery.  Each time they had eaten most of the leaves I replaced them and I watched them grow fat. To my delight within the month I had hatched and released two butterflies.

This year my daughter, Lisa, sent me a butterfly cage—who knew there was such a thing?  Amazon has everything.  I was lucky enough to find 8 caterpillars (one didn’t make it).  I charted their time between my finding each, and their chrysalis formation.  

It varied from 7 to 10 days (didn’t know how old each was when found).  Their chrysalises are beautiful—pale green dotted with gold beads.  They emerge in from 10 to 14 days.  They then need at least 2 hours for their wings to completely dry.

 

After a week from the first chrysalis, each morning I awoke to check the butterfly cage.  On two successive mornings there were butterflies and the others emerged throughout successive days.  I allowed them the almost two hours to dry and on nice days they rode on my finger to the flowers.

The two that emerged at night, having more than two hours to dry, were anxious and flew off as soon as they got outside.

It was a delightful and rewarding experience.  I plan to do the same each future summer.

World in Distress

Our world is in distress.  We have experienced unprecedented life-threatening high temperatures in the 100’s for days on end.   Droughts, fires and floods have resulted in unparalleled destruction and loss of lives.  Rivers, lakes and streams and oceans as well as lands and the air are all polluted.   We see a degradation of the food chain from overuse of antibiotics and chemicals.   This past year has brought a plague of deaths from a new virus and the flagrant rash of ‘recreational’ drug use.  Nations don’t know how to manage the onslaught of millions of refugees all over the globe fleeing drought devastated lands, tyrannical leaders and uncontrolled crime.  This is our world in the 21st century.  

 

Isaiah 24:4      The earth is mourning, withering,

                        the earth is pinning, withering,

                        the heavens are pining away with the earth.

                        The earth is defiled under its inhabitants’ feet,

                        for they have transgressed the law,

                        violated the precept,

                        broken the everlasting covenant.

                        So a curse consumes the earth

                        And its inhabitants suffer the penalty.

 

Those are words prophesized by Isaiah over three thousand years ago . . . and it tells of our world today.  Isaiah describes it as God’s wrath.  Each age describes reality in the terms that are available to their understanding.  The ancients believed God directly controlled everything.  Their idea of God was that of a harsh, demanding and controlling Deity—much in line with the rulers of the times.  So in prophesying a world disaster he attributed it as being the curse of God punishing humanity. 

 

God’s covenant to man was to shepherd the earth.  We were given control. 

Jesus introduced a new view of God, as the God of Love who desires and awaits mankind to choose ‘the good’.   Jesus did not demand and command, rather he demonstrated love with stories of kindness and lessons like the beatitudes, and he left it to his followers to choose to accept or reject.  In Deuteronomy, God’s words are reported as “I have set before you, life and death, blessings and curses.  Now choose life so that you and your children may live.”  Not a command or demand, but a choice.

 

As religions grew, particularly Judaism and Christianity, they were structured more in line with  the Old Testament God of wrath and control.  The New Testament view of God, is of a God of love as demonstrated by Jesus.  Religions do not clearly convey the difference.  

 

Since the mid-20^th century there has been a decline in religious participation as science showed us another side of existence and it seemed less likely that God was controlling what was happening on earth.  Many came to think that meant there wasn’t a God.  Materialism and consumerism grew, and God was left out of the equation.  That was the mistake!  It’s not that God isn’t, it that God gave humanity a directive, “I lay before you life and death, choose life.” God watches and waits for humanity to choose ‘the good’ that leads to life.

 

In today’s world most people recognize that God is not controlling our actions.  Humans were given consciousness and free will.  That means we are expected to see, think and choose the course of action.  Unfortunately we have not chosen to follow the laws laid out at the beginning of time ‘to shepherd the earth’, which means we were to guard and protect it;  instead we have chosen to exploit it for selfish ends.  We have been directed to ‘love one another’; instead we divide into camps of ‘us’ and ‘them’ and fight each other.  We are instructed to share and to care for the poor and needy, instead we accumulate for ourselves—and the world became lop-sided with one percent of the extremely wealthy holding as much wealth as the poorer half of the world.

 

The climate crisis is not ‘God’s wrath’ punishing us; it is the result of the careless abandoning of principles and laws of justice inherent in ‘choosing life’.  In the process we have broken God’s covenant to shepherd the earth.  It is not God’s wrath we are facing.  It is the result of our own choices; we have chosen for death—and we, the inhabitants, are suffering the penalty.  

 

We still have time to choose the other option.  But that requires us to recognize our One World and work together to save it from those selfish choices we have made that got us to this point.