Whispers of Mystery: Eve's Test

Thursday, May 26, 2012

“Girl! You did what?!!”

Jasmine’s heart skips a beat as she reads Mindy’s text. Jasmine had texted Mindy six hours ago to share her tour of Focus on the Family and her question to Dr. Dobson about the two lesser known curses to Eve and closed, “Call me.” Mindy usually replies quickly and with a phone call, if asked. Jasmine had hoped her best friend would be proud of her, but these four words, with a question mark and three exclamation points worry her. Mindy sounds not proud, but shocked.

Jasmine was bold. Maybe too bold. Again, now at 32. At eleven, she was curious, cared about people, and didn’t perceive herself as bold, and certainly not belligerent as a few people sometimes said. Then she learned to shut her mouth, and now she’s opening it again. Asking questions of authorities like Dobson still didn’t feel bold to her, just natural.

Perhaps because she was the forgotten middle child, Jasmine listened first to the wisdom within her and second to anything from anyone else. She hadn’t learned the concept of listening first to those seen as authorities. Nor did Jasmine realize that her inclination wasn’t normal. Most people heed the words of their authorities. Sometimes, when her parents rebuked her for “thinking at odds,” they also mused that she must have been listening to this person or that person, all of whom her parents condemned, and none of whom Jasmine had ever heard of. On such occasions, she would gaze back quizzically, wondering who these people were, wishing she could meet them, and hoping they too might think at odds.

But, starting at the age of eleven, Jasmine began to learn that most people accept the words of their authorities, even when those words sound senseless and she began to learn the art of pretending: pretend to agree with your authorities; pretend to “think at evens.” Eventually, pretending got tiresome. Couldn’t she simplify her life with agreement?

Then she met Tim. Tim was an archer, and very skilled, not only at the sport, but also at firing his arrow to into the bulls-eye of agreement with authorities. If an authority says leaves turn red in the summer, then they turn red in the summer. If an authority gives out a list of rules, Tim follows those rules. Simple. How does he do that? By the time they met, Jasmine could no longer exert the energy to respond to the rebukes she received for thinking at odds. If only she could marry a guy who’s good at thinking at evens, then perhaps she too could acquire that skill. At the time, Tim seemed as though he was the perfect groom.

Once Jasmine learned the concept that authorities know best, and that the character in the Bible called “God” is the biggest authority of them all, she found herself further perplexed: why would this big authority command something bad, or forbid something good? And when this authority does, what should one to do? Should one do anything about it, or say anything? Jasmine, unable to contain her sense that one should, muses that such a choice is like a test. As a teacher, Jasmine couldn’t help but to the give the biblical characters a grade.

Noah seemed to have nothing to say to God, and if he did, it might have gone something like this: “I understand, God. You wish to flood the planet and kill everyone, but save my family and a pair of each animal species? What would you like me to do? Build a boat? Yes, Sir.” Noah didn’t do the killing, but to Jasmine’s way of thinking, he acted as an accomplice. Jasmine gives him a D. Joshua committed genocide. F. But Abraham spoke eloquently and respectfully when God wanted to destroy two cities, and he managed to bargain a deal out of God. A.

What about Eve? Her situation was different. Eve didn’t yet know what was “good” because she hadn’t yet eaten of this knowledge. But Jasmine notices the story says Eve saw that the tree was good and desirable for attaining wisdom, suggesting that she intuitively understood that it would advance her consciousness – something good.

Why, Jasmine, marveled, would the Creator forbid something good? Knowing what is good to do and what is not good to do: shouldn’t that be something the Creator should want? And why would this Creator punish his creations for doing wrong before they learned to do right? Wouldn’t they need to gain “knowledge of good and evil” first?

Wishing to give the Creator in this story the benefit of the doubt -- especially since he is called “God” -- Jasmine wondered whether “good and evil” meant dualism, a manner of thought that can bring trouble and suffering. But isn’t any advance of consciousness, whether or not it brings suffering, better than no advance?

To Jasmine, Eve could not have failed her test because she chose not to obey a command that would have kept her stagnant in ignorance, but she also barely passed her test because she didn’t stand up to God. Unlike Abraham, she didn’t say, “Hold on a moment, God. Since knowledge is good, this command of yours is bad. Can we strike a deal?” Instead of facing God and asking for a better deal, she went forth on her own. Better than Noah, but not as good as Abraham. She gets a “C.”

No matter how Jasmine reads the story, Eve is hardly the villain she’s been made out to be. Not, however, by the eyes her church or its entire tradition. From their point of view, Eve failed her test. She disobeyed the biggest authority of them all, and no matter how petty or cruel that authority’s command may be, disobedience of an authority so great is the ultimate sin, and, according to this tradition, Eve and all her daughters are to be rebuked.

Perhaps then it was better for Jasmine that she was cast from her church. At least now, she has the freedom to think on her own, no matter how “odd.”

Can she explain any of this to Mindy? Jasmine doesn’t know what she’d do if her best friend thinks she went too far. For the rest of the afternoon, Jasmine keeps checking her phone and breathing, hoping her friend will understand. At least it’s Mixed Doubles Night. Soon she should see her friend in person.

Glendale Racquet Club, 6:45 pm

Jasmine has arrived to the warm-up room early, her heart pumping, still concerned over her friend’s response to her question to Dr. Dobson. When Mindy walks through the door, with a glowing smile on her face, Jasmine releases a great breath. Her chest loosens so deeply, she’s struck by how tight it had been.

Mindy, light-hearted in face and voice greets her. “Who are you?!” Mindy asks with a chuckle and a tease and a clear love in her voice, “Sending messages to James Dobson?!” Mindy laughs again. Jasmine joins her in the laugh and admits she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to find out what a true Christian patriarch might say to her questions about the second two curses to Eve, “your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Still laughing, Mindy says, “I don’t think most men rule over their wives, Jazzie. Actually, it seems a lot of wives rule over their husbands!”

Jasmine chuckles. “That’s probably true, Mindy. But have you read any of James Dobson’s books?”

“Thankfully no,” Mindy groans, with a roll in her eyes.

“Well, my friend,” Jasmine pats Mindy on the shoulder, “you are blessed for that. His books were practically required reading in my family, and he, admittedly with subtlety, seems to advocate husbands ruling over their wives.”

“And he runs a Christian organization,” Mindy laughs. “Jazzie, you are crazy for doing this, but now you’ve hooked me. The suspense is killing me. What did he say?”

Jasmine takes a deep breath and pulls out two small sheets, a photocopy of her inquiry to Dr. Dobson for his opinion about the curse to Eve to desire her husband and the next one that “he will rule over you,” and a print-out of the reply she received. Mindy reads Jasmine’s inquiry first, then she turns to the reply from Focus on the Family:

“Dear Jasmine,

Thank you for joining one of our tours this week and for taking the time to place your question. The doctor receives so many messages, he can’t respond to them all, but we did bring your question to him. He said he can appreciate that this passage understandably confuses you. Theological discussions are outside of the mission of Focus on the Family, and for inquiries like yours, we suggest you consult with the Billy Graham Foundation.

In case this passage might be relevant to you personally, we have many counselors who can offer you support free of charge. Please let us know if you would like to consult with one of them about any personal relationship of you may have yourself, and we will connect you with one.

Thank you again.”

Mindy groans. “Can we say condescending?”

“I know,” Jasmine sighs.

“I wonder if he figured you were putting him to the test, and he didn’t want to go there, so he decided to be condescending?”

“Maybe,” Jasmine chuckles, catching Mindy’s point that she had put ‘the doctor’ to the test. “But I hope I got him to at least think.”

“Or be ‘confused’?”

“Yes!” Jasmine laughs, “Or be confused!”

Mindy joins Jasmine in a laugh. She pauses. Mindy knows Jasmine has been ordered out of her church and that this question is personal to her. She gives her friend a sympathetic smile, slows down her speech, and lowers her voice. “He’s not worth a reply, Jazzie.”

“I know. I am tempted to reply, to share how I see it, and even that patriarchal leaders like him need to repent of that ‘he will rule over you’ curse!” Jasmine chuckles at herself. Maybe this time, she is feeling belligerent.

Mindy smiles with understanding. “I hear you. Let it go, and just let him be confused!”

Postscript: The reply to Jasmine from Focus on the Family is a very close replication of the actual reply by the same organization to the author in probably 2009 to the same question via email. The actual reply was also sent three days later, also suggested the Billy Graham Foundation and provided its link, also offered the organization’s counseling services, and also expressed “the doctor’s” reply that this passage would “understandably confuse” her.

Continue Head-shaking Lot of Change

To read Jasmine's inquiry to Dr. Dobson and her own take on the passage, see A Truly New New"