A Myth from The Garden

The role of woman is devalued. When and why did women go from being partners in creation to being objects of desire, their sexuality a product to be bought and sold? Why is it men are often covered, while women exposed for the world to see and to desire? Following is this writer's imaginative answer.

Shame entered with the metaphysical bite of the apple and we all covered ourselves.

Photo byLewis FaggonUnsplash

Man and woman came into being as human and rational. They were equal to each other and merged to create more life. They lived at one with nature and walked with the Eternal in the garden of life. Both man and woman strove side-by-side to raise their young. They may have lived in tribal units to share in the procurement, protection, and rearing. Man did not own woman; woman did not own man, neither was more valuable than the other.

At some point in the history of the current culture, man and woman decided not to live at one with nature and left the garden. Pride led them to trust more in themselves than in their God. Fear was introduced; fear of lack, fear of loss, and fear of death. The tribal unit began to procure more resources than needed and to store those resources. That meant guarding of resources and finally, taking of resources from other tribes. There was no end to procuring, because there was no end to fear. The groups began to fight between other groups and among themselves. Before this time, there was no need to fight over resources and to guard resources. Resources were now possessions. The earth began to be divided into property, to be owned, not shared. This introduced private property. Once seen as an anomaly and now seen as a right of human dignity.

The male role of procurement and protection became of more value to the tribe. The female role of birthing new life and nurturing that life was one of decreasing value. The greater the fear over providing for new life, the fear of lack, as well as loss and death, helped to increase the greater the value placed upon the male.

The tribal unit helps to ensure that the male choosing to copulate and produce young would then choose to provide for what is his. We humans do not live in isolation but as part of a collective and thus are subject to the laws of the collective. A collective’s goal would be to thrive. In order to thrive, the young must be provided for.

How does the male know what baby is his? One could easily identify what baby belonged to what woman. Now males wanted to be absolutely certain the children they were providing for were from their own seed. Woman became a possession of the male at the time of union. The feminine role was not only devalued; she became the possession of the male, to do with as he pleased within the laws of the tribe. Women were kept within the home under the protection or control of a male. The role of creating a nest and nurturing and raising the progeny is further denigrated.

Man, not only possesses the woman, he must also make her something undesirable to others and even to himself. Women are covered up, in some tribes from head to toe. Men who are visually stimulated cannot hide their desires. The reproductive organ has a mind of its own and is not easily mastered by the brain. Therefore, what stimulates them, i.e. women’s bodies, becomes covered and hidden. The veil separates but also protects. It protects a woman and in this way frees a woman from being an object of man’s lust and desire. If man did not lust after woman inordinately, and if passions were balanced under love and service to the Divine first, then woman would not have this need of “protection”. The covering of her body instituted by men, so they have control over her body, also introduces shame.

The battle between the sexes is born. Males are physically capable of conquering females in the sexual union. Sexual prowess becomes something to be proud of, men strut and crow about their conquests. Women are no longer treated as an equal, but as something to subjugate. Rape is born. The sacred act of creation has been transformed into an act of brutality and control of another.

The children from the union of male and female also become the property of the male. Men, who do not feel as powerful as other men, conquer those perceived to be less powerful i.e. women and children. The sexual union of beauty and creation has been changed into an act of conquest and assertion of power. A world where fear rules is a world where power is the ultimate possession and one can never have enough.

This scenario portrays a world where the Divine spark has been snuffed out or is barely smoldering. Luckily, it is not the whole story. There are obviously many men, past and present, who look forward to having a wife to unite with and children to rear, treating both with respect and love.

Because we live in a physical realm – where brute strength is an asset – we need a perspective adjustment to see that it is just one among many assets and all are of equal value to continuity. We have come far already and believe the ability to reason is also an asset. However, we still do not believe in the gestalt perspective, and that the whole person is valuable and both sexes are equally of value. But there is hope. Women and men continue to evolve.

But where is God in this world of fear? Throughout the ages, God blessed us with vision and love, sending us His messengers and guidance. Some heard Him and shouted the message from the rooftops. God also gave us a toolbox called religion that helps humans grow toward the Divine. Our goal is to unite as One with the Divine. No other goal, no other aspiration is higher. God also planted within each of us a seed of desire to seek the Eternal while living in the physical.The role of woman is devalued. When and why did women go from being partners in creation to being objects of desire, their sexuality a product to be bought and sold? Why is it men are often covered, while women exposed for the world to see and to desire? Shame entered with the metaphysical bite of the apple and we all covered ourselves.

Man and woman came into being as human and rational. They were equal to each other and merged to create more life. They lived at one with nature and walked with God in the garden of life. Both man and woman strove side-by-side to raise their young. They may have lived in tribal units to share in the procurement, protection, and rearing. Man did not own woman; woman did not own man, neither was more valuable than the other.

At some point in the history of the current culture, man and woman decided not to live at one with nature and left the garden. Pride led them to trust more in themselves than in their God. Fear was introduced; fear of lack, fear of loss, and fear of death upon tasting the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The tribal unit began to procure more resources than needed and to store those resources. That meant guarding of resources and finally, taking of resources from other tribes. There was no end to procuring, because there was no end to fear. The groups began to fight between other groups and among themselves. Before this time, there was no need to fight over resources and to guard resources. Resources were now possessions. The earth began to be divided into property, to be owned, not shared. This introduced private property. Once seen as an anomaly and now seen as a right of human dignity.

The male role of procurement and protection became of more value to the tribe. The female role of birthing new life and nurturing that life was one of decreasing value. The greater the fear over providing for new life, the fear of lack, as well as loss and death, helped to increase the greater the value placed upon the male.

The tribal unit helps to ensure that the male choosing to copulate and produce young would then choose to provide for what is his. We humans do not live in isolation but as part of a collective and thus are subject to the laws of the collective. A collective’s goal would be to thrive. In order to thrive, the young must be provided for.

How does the male know what baby is his? One could easily identify what baby belonged to what woman. Now males wanted to be absolutely certain the children they were providing for were from their own seed. Woman became a possession of the male at the time of union. The feminine role was not only devalued; she became the possession of the male, to do with as he pleased within the laws of the tribe. Women were kept within the home under the protection or control of a male. The role of creating a nest and nurturing and raising the progeny is further denigrated.

Man, not only possesses the woman, he must also make her something undesirable to others and even to himself. Women are covered up, in some tribes from head to toe. Men who are visually stimulated cannot hide their desires. The reproductive organ has a mind of its own and is not easily mastered by the brain. Therefore, what stimulates them, i.e. women’s bodies, becomes covered and hidden. The veil separates but also protects. It protects a woman and in this way frees a woman from being an object of man’s lust and desire. If man did not lust after woman inordinately, and if passions were balanced under love and service to the Divine first, then woman would not have this need of “protection”. The covering of her body instituted by men, so they have control over her body, also introduces shame.

The battle between the sexes is born. Males are physically capable of conquering females in the sexual union. Sexual prowess becomes something to be proud of, men strut and crow about their conquests. Women are no longer treated as an equal, but as something to subjugate. Rape is born. The sacred act of creation has been transformed into an act of brutality and control of another.

The children from the union of male and female also become the property of the male. Men, who do not feel as powerful as other men, conquer those perceived to be less powerful i.e. women and children. The sexual union of beauty and creation has been changed into an act of conquest and assertion of power. A world where fear rules is a world where power is the ultimate possession and one can never have enough.

This scenario portrays a world where the Divine spark has been snuffed out or is barely smoldering. Luckily, it is not the whole story. There are obviously many men, past and present, who look forward to having a wife to unite with and children to love and to rear.

Because we live in a physical realm – where brute strength is an asset – we need a perspective adjustment to see that it is just one among many assets and all are of equal value to continuity. We have come far already and believe intellectual strength and the ability to reason are also assets. However, we still do not believe in the gestalt perspective, and that the whole person is valuable and both sexes are equally of value. But there is hope.

But where is God in this world of fear? Throughout the ages, God blessed us with vision and love, sending us His messengers and guidance. Some heard Him and shouted the message from the rooftops; others heard only the sound of their own inner voices, separate from the Eternal. God sent us a toolbox called religion that helps humans grow toward the Divine. Our goal is to unite as One with the Divine. No other goal, no other aspiration is higher. God also planted within each of us a seed of desire to seek Him – this desire draws us to Him and to Love, balancing the fear that shrouds the world.