Moral Curiosities

Cont. "Sexism" in Genesis

Peace be with you.

Introduction
Since this chapter is about sexism, I will solely focus on its Scriptural and Tradition reference of women, and how it treats them. Being a woman myself, this is a topic I am fascinated with and will enjoy writing about. I will not touch much upon the topics of rape and slavery, as these topics were handled more fully elsewhere.

Expressed
In the beginning, we read how the first woman and mother of humanity was made: From Adam's side, to be his companion and helpmeet. She would be Adam's wife, and, in their union, they would be one flesh, a complement to each other, united together as companions. In the fall, after Eve had eaten of the fruit in her temptation, she is cursed by the Lord, and it is said of her: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain, you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." (3:16)

As I am an Orthodox Christian, I will use the Tradition of the Church to interpret passages of this nature. To use the writings of St. Augustine of Hippo, he pointed out several things in his own reading:

(1) "There is no question about the punishment of the woman. For she clearly has her pains and sighs multiplied in the woes of this life. Although her bearing her children in pain is fulfilled in this visible woman, our consideration should nevertheless be recalled to that more hidden woman. For even in animals the females bear offspring with pain, and this is in their case the condition of mortality rather than the punishment of sin. Hence, it is possible that this be the condition of mortal bodies even in the females of humans. But this is the great punishment: they have come to the present bodily mortality from their former immortality."

Rather than childbirth being the punishment given, in reality, it is being subjected to the mortal condition of the body, evident in animals and in human females. Others, like St. John Chrysostom, note this mortal condition, and yet also include the comfort God provides.

He writes: "Nevertheless, however, the loving God offered comfort with the pain, so that the satisfaction of bearing the child equally matched those pangs that tortured the womb all those months. I mean, women who are subjected to such distress, are so tormented by the bouts of pain, and, so to say, even despair of life itself, enjoy after the birth satisfaction even in their distress: as though forgetting all that has happened, they give themselves again to the bearing of children, according to the loving God's providence for the maintenance of human beings' welfare. You see, the expectation of future benefits makes us always bear the distress of the present time with ease [...] This is what Christ also talked about with his disciples, showing them the intensity of the pain and the great degree of satisfaction, when he said, 'A woman in labour suffers for the reason that her time has come;' then, wanting to bring home to us how the element of suffering is suddenly removed whereas its place is taken by joy and happiness, he said, 'But when she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the distress for joy that a human being has been born into the world.' [Gospel of John, 16:21 ] Do you see the exceeding care?"

(2) "Scripture adds after the birth, 'You will turn to your man, and he will rule over you.' ... What can this mean except that when that part of the soul held by carnal joys has, in willing to conquer a bad habit, suffered difficulty and pain and in this way brought forth a good habit, it now more carefully and diligently obeys reason as its husband? And taught by its pains, it turns to reason and willingly obeys its commands lest it again declines to some harmful habit."

And here, he interprets the wording of "man" (or, alternatively, "husband") much differently, in describing this as a spiritual context. The first part of the curse dealt with the body, and now here with spirituality. In spiritual guidance, there is obeying, for our benefit.