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From the Beginning: Stories Of Our Beginnings and Creation

From earliest times, each culture spins stories of their origins and of their Gods. That has been the way of the Jews as well. Their tales are recorded in the beginning of the Torah (aka ‘Old Testament‘). Throughout the generations, these particular stories have created much argument, which continues to this day

A Challenging Situation

For many at this time, especially women, the Bible has become a prolematic and increasingly irrelevant challenge. We are without a middle ground - the Bible is either read as literal in all ways or has been disregarded as merely a means to keep women down. Another alternative is fervently needed - one that's between dismissing the Bible completely and/as well as ignoring the blame game that has resulted We must step back and acquaint ourselves with these sacred works with a more thoughtful as well as neutral perspective.

Myths are considered sacred and the lessons discovered within them still continue to resonate with us. Joseph Campbell has taught us that, far from being lies, myths are consummate truths spun in metaphorical language. Presented that way, myths turn into spiritual what has been literal. Myths are stories of the quest by men and women throughout the ages for meaning and significance; looking to glimpse the eternal, and to fully grasp the mysterious; to understand who we really are. They function in 4 different ways. One thing is that they give us a place of wonder as well as mystery. 2nd, myths invite the possibilities to explore the cosmological and of the transcendent. In other words, the world of matter becomes holy and sacred. Furthermore, myths also validate a particular social structure, as can be seen throughout much of the Old Testament literature. Lastly, myths give us a roadmap for living a full spiritual existence.

Cullen Murphy, in his beautifully written synthesis of women and the Bible, ‘The Word According To Eve‘, suggests that Holy Scripture as we know it has been the catalyst of 4 spiritual transformations, and a 5th has been gathering speed. The 1st dramatic revolution happened through the Book of Moses, which introduced the concept of there existing just one God. The Israelites became known by these twin concepts: they were the people of “The Book” who worshiped only one God. This set them apart from their neighbors.

When Christianity had been born and a new book emerged, known as the New Testament, the second revolution exploded into existence. Fifteen hundred years later we have been seeing a similar shift within Christianity, this time exalting the authority and importance of Scripture along with creating the opportunity for the Bible to be read by non-monks/priests, in their native language instead of having it read to them by a priest. The fourth distinct change happened as the advances of science and reason challenge the accuracy of the words and stories from the Bible. Today, we are in the middle of what Cullen Murphy terms the fifth revolution, as women infiltrate the sacred halls of academia, earning the credentials and the knowledge to manifest a new scholarship using the insights from the feminine perspective. And the results? During 1993, Murphy (a Roman Catholic male), wrote an article for ‘The Atlantic Monthly‘, which now seems prophetic: “I write these last words on the day of my daughter’s first communion in a denomination that still restricts the role of women, and I write them with the expectation that with regard to the position of women, matters will not remain - will simply not be able to remain - as in some places we see them today; in the expectation, to employ a biblical turn, that the present way’s days are numbered.” Murphy makes additional reference about the Book of Daniel, which may be read as being a prophecy for women, relating towards the bible. “On a host of matters involving women and the Bible, the writing on the wall is there to be read. And more and more of it shows itself with every passing day.”