The original sin of women

I am a feminist.  I think you could probably tell that.  I think you can probably also tell that I have issues with a lot of things that happen in society.  I recently came across a sign that said "If Eve doomed the entire human race for one apple, what would she do for a klondke bar?"

I get it, it's funny.  I understand the concept of the sign, and it can cause giggles.  I get it.

But I also don't like it.  To me, this speaks to all the subtle and innate oppression issues that women face.

First things first.  I am going to get a bit biblical here, and I am going to talk about my opinions.  My own opinions.  Not fact, not your opinion, but my opinion.  I ask that you respect my opinion, and I will respect yours.  I love a good debate and discussion, so feel free to start one if you would like, in a respectful manner.

There are a lot of stories in the Bible and biblical folklore that really bother me.  But let's focus on one right now.  It is this story of Adam and Eve, which can arguably be one of the most famous stories in the bible aside from Jesus being born.  In my Lutheran upbringings and teaching, the story of Adam and Eve is that God created Adam first, then created Eve out of Adam's rib (first point: there is a bit of man in every woman).  Eve was tempted by the forbidden fruit, and took a bite of a fruit that God said never to eat (second point: Eve, aka women, are easily tempted).  After Eve "sinned," God's punishment was giving Adam and Eve human bodies, meaning they would suffer and die (third point: Eve, aka woman, caused the downfall of humans). 

Let's also look at how Eve is a representation of all women, in popular society.  She was, to use this story, the "first woman" and therefore, all other women were modeled and bore out of her.  Because of that, and because of the above paragraph and story, there have been people that have oppressed and looked down on women solely because of a story the Bible wants us to believe.

I have personal views that could go on for years about whether the Bible is true, where it came from, and what this story is actually talking about.  But here's the point.  It doesn't matter what you believe, and it doesn't matter if you believe.  You have to realize that this story has often led to issues with women.  From the early years, women were seen as not equal to men, innate sinners, and not good enough because of this story.

Even if you don't know or don't believe this, the current oppression, subordination, and punishment of women can easily stem from this story.  So by saying things like "Eve doomed human kind," you basically are perpetuating the myth that women are unequal to men and basically innately bad.  It may not be a pervasive and explicit thing in society, but it definitely is in society in a more implicit way.  There is a belief that Eve is the representation of all women.  And if you put negative qualities and characteristics on Eve, you are then putting these same negative qualities on every single woman in the world.  Whether you think so or not, it is happening.  It has happened, it continues to happen, and it continues to be perpetuated.

The reality is, women are still second-class citizens in today's world.  There may be many reasons for it, but I believe this is one of the reasons this oppression continues.  Because people have a reason to justify it.  But there is no reason to justify it.  Do you think this story is fact?  Could there be other interpretations?  Could there be a reason this story was written this way in the Bible?

There's my opinion and my take on this.  I understand that jokes are funny.  It's funny sometimes to make fun of history, or make fun of stories.  I am not a prude in that way.  I also though, think we all need to understand the impact of our actions.  By making a sign like that or by making a joke about Eve, do you know what impact that makes on people?  On society?  Think about it.  And I just urge you to think about your impact, whether it be an explicit or implicit impact.