Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10

RUT my purpose is not to question the truth
- of the revelation in the third chapter OF
Genesis. but only to consider its effect upon
human history Take, for instance, the rib
theory of the origin of Eve, according TO Whlch
an unimportant part of the body OF Adam was
converted into a woman. This naturally gave
her an inferior social standing. From believing
it herself she acquired the complex Of inferior
ity She got the habit Of accepting whatever
came as her proper portion 1t was her ever
lasting reputation as the introducer of sin and
the cause of all woes of man that kept her
down near the donkey level.
He who has been to Egypt or Palestine and
seen a little donkey struggling under a heavy
burden, on top of which sits big husky Ma
hometan with a busy leathern whip in his hand,
has seen q picture not unlike that of man and
woman in the ancient world He had no doubt
that he was pleasing the Lord whel he put her
to the hardest tasks and struck her with
club or a lash. Since we do not question the
truth of the third chapter of Genesis, We must
conclude that man was right-that he and the
Lord had O righteous cause Of complaint. It
is easy to understand why. when the toll bore
heavy on him and bread was hard to get, he
should feel like beating his wife-for had not
woman brought these troubles upon him? When
she pleaded for mercy he was often deaf because
he remembered what Adam got when he heark-
ened to his wife.
Man had TO believe that woman was the
cause of all his woes, and he kept her in mind
of her responsibility. All through the deep
valley Of unnumbered ages he held q grudge
against her. I take no such liberty, but there
are certain critics who hold that the story OF
the fall is fiction. However that may be, there
is no fiction in the woes of woman which came
as the fruit of it. That Is the most shameful
and well authenticated chapter in human
history.
Man wore his hands and racked his body
with toll but his brain suffered ages Of enforced
idleness. His brow was always wet but there
was never any perspiratiOn on his intellect.
The state told him what he had TO believe. II
an individual did any independent thinking
as the prophets were wont to do-he got his
head cut off, 1t didn't pay and there were few
who INDUCED in that unholy pastime. Indi-
viduality might be popular but it was unproht-
able. A head raised above the dead level of the
crowd soon fell into the basket and, save for a
memory of what had passed between the dead
lips, it was out of business. How remote and
impossible this kind of thing would seem to
bel But the nomad tribesmen who lived thou
sands of years before Christ are still wandering
under the same sun that delayed its flight over
Ajalon. There are thousands of them in Amer
lea who would slay the prophets, save for the
fact that it has now become dangerous form
of recreation.
OFTEN I have entered houses in this land Of
ours wherein found the dark, cold shadow
OF the primal curse. Vividy remember such
call:
1t is a Sabbath day. The chickens in the
dooryard seem to step softly The old cock
has solemn, religious look in his eye. The
dog wags his tail hopefully, but in silence.
There is a faint, sad whisper in the sheltering
tree tops. feel the brooding spirit of the