We hear preachers from more evangelical and conservative traditions talk a lot about Original Sin, essentially saying that there is nothing we can do about it, but we just inherited these fatal flaws. And without their solution to sin, we die in eternal conscious torment in hell and live unfulfilled lives. Does that really happen? Probably not. But their message has poisoned the water as we read these Genesis texts. So we need to reclaim them, as we have done this week.
Original sin is the idea that Adam and Eve’s act of defiance and disobedience is either literally or figuratively passed down through every generation as a type of curse that separates humanity from God. Remember, these stories were written while the Hebrew people were in exile. They’d endured some horrible treatment, so they were trying to make sense of why they inherited such problems. It may have been written with good intentions, but it’s been the interpreters that have messed things up for the rest of us, once again.
Obviously no one would admit to God being a misogynist but would rather hold on to interpretations of the Bible that devalue women. In this creation myth, there are plenty of interpretations that can lead us to think that God is a misogynist.
According to the dictionary, a myth is “a traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events.” This definition goes so nicely with our stories. However, the second definition listed is this: “a widely held but false belief or idea.” When we say that there are myths in the Bible, too many people mistakenly think about this second definition. But myths, according to the first definition carry a wealth of meaning and identity, even if they aren’t necessarily true stories. The creation stories are myths that give the Hebrew people identity, purpose, and roots. As we study these creation myths, we can gain identity, purpose, and roots as well.
The first word for God that we have in the Bible is plural. This is part of the reason why we have the odd statement, “Let us make humankind in our image,” (Genesis 1:26). This could cause people to panic or it can be the most beautiful word. We’re going to choose the latter option.