Sometimes a little bit of clear thinking can undo a lot of amazing foolishness. One of these rather simple views with huge implications is that of what Paul says about women, and thus how they should be or not be, do or not do, even though today we know his reasonings are invalid. Even of Paul it can be said he was piously convicted, like many today who follow his teachings, and yet marginally informed, which is the rub.

For example, we know, ok, most know that the story of Adam and Eve is not literally true. There really was no first man moment created out of the dust followed by a woman made out of the rib of man. It is simply mythology and how we have been sold the idea that it literally happened and thus gives reasons theologically why GOD wants this or that, is another tale in itself.

Very simply, humans evolved over millions of years, most likely in Africa and then in various stages of developement and in various ways, spread out over the entire planet in the past 60,000 years. No Adam, no Eve, no garden, no talking serpent, no two literal trees and no disobedient woman who is responsible for all our current world problems. It's mythology at it's best but taken literally it's theology at it's worst.

Of course the characters in the New Testament believed it literally it seems. That does not make it true as they would not know then what we know today about human origins. And Yes, even Jesus would have taken the Adam and Eve story literally, Cosmic Christ nothwithstanding. The literal story of Adam and Eve has to be true, literally, or the New Testament has some pretty glaring problems.

Again, and for example, it is easy to see that a couple of simple truths lead to really messy conclusions. Adam and Eve did not really exist. The story of Eve causing the Fall of mankind into Original Sin did not happen. If it did not happen, there is no Original Sin for all us poor humans to be forgiven of. If we don't need forgiveness and aren't going to hell for not finding the true church to forgive, baptise and redeem us thru Jesus, then the whole need for a Church is superflous along with the ministry. See how simple! Argh!

It's a bit like the idea that Jesus knew he was God in the flesh and could not really die. He knew he would be killed but also raised to life again and live on. The Bible supports Jesus both knowing and not knowing he was the Messiah or God's only begotten son. He would not be dead as men are dead. If he knew this, then why is his crucifiction so special and such an atonement for our sins? A sacrfice that is really no sacrifice, that doesn't really die and stay dead to pay for sins, is not real it seems. If Jesus didn't die, I am supposed to go to hell eternally, but his death is not permanent. It's just momentary.

Why is it such a big sacrifice for God to give "his only son," if He gets Him back in a few short days. I have buried lots of kids that the parents would love to have back so soon after their devastating loss. If I KNEW I would be shot and yet I also KNEW in three short days from now be God again, go ahead and shoot me! Thus, and it's painful to think, the sacrfice seems contrived and is really not all that much for a God to sacrifice after all it seems. Maybe it's just me.

But my observation in this short article is not about sin and the need for manditory church attendance or having a priest or minister to run interference for your life. I want to focus for a bit on the illogical damage this mythology has done to modern women, through the teachings of the Apostle Paul, based on HIS taking the story literally.

Paul says...

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." (1 Corinthians 14:34-35)

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach [didaskein], nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression," (1 Timothy 2:11-12)

So here we have that the REASON women are to keep silent in church, not teach and ask husbands any theological questions ("what if my husband is an idiot and doesn't know anything?", one wife asked me), is because a literal Adam was created first by a few hours evidently, was not tricked into sin even though he was standing right there next to Eve, and was not deceived as was Eve. I guess the reward is that their salvation comes in their having babies as Paul noted. Well there you have it! Women TODAY are to be or not be a certain way because of Paul's thinking the whole mythology really happened! We know it didn't, or at least we can know if we open up our minds and think beyond what men knew 2000 years ago. If it didn't literally happen, then the justification for women today to be silent and take the blame is just not true. They need to stop allowing ministers, priests and rabbis to do it.

In the original mythology, women were punished now by having babies painfully and being in subjection to their husbands. Paul also promotes this ideal for women. The problem is, it's based in myth and not fact. If it didn't literally happen, then why is the results for women today so literally enforced by men. Weird!

In I Corinthians 11 we find...

8 "For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man. 9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man"

This is not literally true. Every man came from a woman as did every woman. Women did not really come from the rib of Adam. It is NOT true, so why are women forced into a box of obedience literally based on a myth! It's nuts!

It's also the way men have controlled women for thousands of years. Make the god's make the rules or the priests on behalf of the gods and it will literally control them with a literally untrue story. I guess since it has always worked, it always will. That is until and unless we all collectively wake up to the FACT that the reasons Paul or any Church Father after him give for why women can do or not do, be or not be this or that, are simply not true and the stories upon which the consequences for women are based are simply not true. If the story is not true, then the reason for using the story to make something else true is ....well...not true. Time to wake up.