In Defense of Eve

By: Arazia Fox

Stereotypically Eve is blamed for the downfall of mankind into sin. Unfortunately, this does not stand up when one examines the situation closely. Mistreatment of women since early biblical times all stems from this doctrine that a woman is naturally sinful and can corrupt the-hearted man. In reality, the events in the garden are ultimately the fault of God, in a lack of foresight, or a purposeful planning, most likely the later.

In the beginning God created man in his own image, whether that refers to body, spirit, or free will one really cannot know. In his infinite wisdom, God gave his fledgling all things, save one: the knowledge of good and evil. This child was born into a garden, unknowing o the nature of things, ignorant in his bliss. To this world, God created Adam's companion; a female made of Adam's own flesh. She was created to be the helper of man, docile and subservient in all ways. So the servant followed the ignorant, and they lived blissfully in Eden. The only rule they had been given was not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The only voice they had known bade them follow his rule. However, there were other voices in the garden. Could it be possible that the all-powerful omnipotent God could have overlooked the serpent in his midst? Most likely God knew about this evil, yet he did nothing to help his fledglings. The new voice called to Eve, the subservient child. How was this naive woman, made to obey, to understand that this serpent was not God himself? How was she to go against what she was being told by the serpent? Following the nature God gave her; she took the fruit of the tree. So Eve went onto Adam and bade him to eat the fruit. At this point, the true choice is made. Man was not created as subservient, and had the choice to take the fruit or not. Adam could not have been so ignorant not to remember the fruit of the tree that God told them not to eat from. Many stories portray Eve as the convincing person in this scene, driving Adam to evil, but is that really in the nature of the woman that God created? No, she would have offered it to him as a way of helping, which was what woman was created for as said in the bible.

In all these happenings, God did not interfere. He did not warn them of the serpent, he did not intercede on the part of the docile Eve, and he did not prevent Adam from the bad choice of eating the fruit. The only place we see God in this situation is after the deed is done. The angry God curses his fledglings, whose sin was nothing more then trusting that God would protect them. Instead he threw them out and cursed all their decedents forever, for something that he had foreseen and chosen not to prevent. Foolish God, you expect your fledglings to worship you when you turn your back on them. You curse them for what you foresaw. You laugh at their misfortune by damning all their children to torment for their crimes. If anyone should carry the blame for this event it is not our innocent Eve, made by God to serve. It should be God himself, who did not protect his children. How can anyone expect to believe that now, God has changed? If God is omnipotent and perfect then no one should believe God to be their protector; he is their executioner


Return to documents.