He blessed Abel because of faithfulness, not because of his order of birth. This account shows that God is not partial to age or gender whatsoever. God found Abel to be more faithful than Cain, and therefore blessed him, which resulted in Cain jealously murdering Abel. We find in the first accounts in Genesis that God blesses Abel, the younger son, over Cain. ![]() The very first sons born, Cain and Abel, bear testimony to this. So, rather than a contradiction, we find Scripture supporting its claims about marriage by placing historical accounts of polygamy as simple examples of the danger of not following God's precedent.Ī much clearer example comes from the Biblical accounts of God’s subversion of primogeniture. The very act of recording such facts stood as a public subversion of the “patriarchy” of the day that thought the men could do as they pleased without consequence. Nothing but strife and pain resulted from the practice of polygamy. More than that, the historical accounts speak volumes in opposition to it because they simply record the societal and familial damage that it causes. Though polygamy is rampant through the early pages of Scripture, it is never condoned. Take the tension between early polygamy and the institution of marriage. If one reads through Scripture with a more careful eye, though, one will find very different, transcending truths flowing from the pages. Christians claim that all people are equal, but again, one will find in the first few pages of Scripture, and throughout much of the Book as a whole, the consistent practice of primogeniture, or the practice of giving all the inheritance to the eldest son, promoting an unalterable hierarchy based both on gender and age, a practice worthy of opposition. For example, Christians claim to hold the institution of marriage between a man and a woman sacred, but within the first few pages of the Bible one will find the Fathers of the Faith practicing polygamy to an extent almost unheard of. They would, in some instances, even be able to find support for this at first glance through the Scriptures. Francis Collins, it is a shame that people judge “the pure water of faith by the rusty buckets that carry it.”Ī brief study of the Bible will bring forth many “patriarchal” issues that many in this day would long to undermine and have removed from our culture. If one considers the history of Christianity, they would see a vastly different reality than what is popularly understood. Often times, people stand in opposition to the caricature of those ideologies, or the “institution,” rather than in opposition to those individuals that fail to represent such ideologies appropriately. In all honesty, those accusations may be very justified, but I believe they are pointed in the wrong direction, and I would like to address some of the realities hidden by some perpetuated misunderstandings of Christianity. You know, those “delusional evangelicals” that voted for Trump, or those “crazy Southern conservatives that hate foreign people,” or the “educated ignorant Bible-thumpers.” I am not trying to be polemical or build a straw man, those are quotes from conversations I’ve had. Within this context, a popular institution that many desire to subvert is that of the “American Patriarchy.” The idea that often seems to be intended by this phrase is the white, male, conservative populace. ![]() It is also popular for many to try to subvert stereotypes, such as gender, sexuality, gender roles, the institution of marriage, and others. Many are motivated by the true sense of this word, to undermine established authorities, tendencies, or institutions that they do not, or feel they cannot, support. The idea of subversion is on the rise in many popular culture sources today. Subvert – to undermine the power and authority of (an established system or institution).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |