A non-Christian’s view about Book of Genesis

Chen Piao (Christine)

Dr. Marquardt

ENG 2403

March 16, 2015

Word Count: 941

A non-Christian’s view about Book of Genesis

       Every religion has its own understanding of the origin of the world. Book of Genesis is one of the brilliant works. I cannot say I totally like it, but I affirm its value.

       It is said in the book that, in the beginning, there was nothing but darkness and water in the earth. Then God created a series of things successively, such as light, sky, vegetation, seasons, stars, creatures and humankind. Then on the seventh day, God rested from work. The LORD God used dust to create a man and used one of the man’s ribs to create his wife. Under the serpent’s trick, the wife took the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil furtively, in the LORD god’s absence. The man and the wife both ate the fruit and knew the distinction of good and evil. The LORD God knew it and punished them three. Cain and Abel were the man and the wife’s sons. Cain killed Abel because the LORD God prefer Abel’s offering. Then Cain was punished. With time going by, and with human multiplying, the earth was full of violence and chaotic gradually. The LORD was disappointed and wanted to destroy everything. But Noah was a righteous man and the LORD likes him. So the LORD asked Noah to make an ark and lead his family and pairs of every creature to escape from the disaster. After the disaster was over, the LORD established some covenants to maintain the world’s order. Later, Noah’s youngest son, Ham, saw the nakedness of Noah when Noah was drunk. Ham told his two brothers. And they took a garment to cover their father. When Noah awoke, he punished Ham’s son Canaan to be the lowest slaves to his brothers.

       I am not Christian. So I just want to share my own understanding of these chapters.

       I do not like the process of forming the earth. As long as God said something, something would be created automatically. It was ridiculous and too casual. As for “living creature of all kinds”, It is also too general. I believe every kind of species exists with its own value and reason. And the kinds of species are unlimited, because everything is developing continuously. God just created “all kinds” and left them there, which in my view is irresponsible and too casual.

Things become controversial when it comes to God. First, God is so unsearchable.  God has a great power that can control everything’s form. We do not know how God came into being or where the power came from. God just created “everything” and dominate “everything”.

Second, God looked down on humankind and other living creature created somewhat. Every creature has its own thought and desire. Humankind has the desire to knowledge. God wanted the man and his wife to behave as told, but God even did not want to let them know what was good and what was evil. God gave them the instinct, but punished them due to it indirectly. It seems that humankind and other creature are God’s toys. Besides, when he found the world full of violence and evilness, he just wanted to destroy everything.

Next, God was not impartial enough. Sons of God took many pretty women as their wives, which added to the disorder of the earth. God did not punish them, but wanted to prevent this from happening by reducing the life span of humankind. What is more, God had regard for Abel’s offering but had no regard for Cain. And neither did he tell the reason, nor did he comfort Cain, but used a series of questions to irritate Cain. Indirectly, it is God that force Cain to kill Abel. Even if no one is perfect, including God, a dominator should try its best to be impartial.

Fortunately, God was trying to be a good dominator. When God felt sorry about creating the world and decided to destroy everything, God saw the righteous man, Noah. And Noah changed God’s mind, actually. God wanted to protect the various species and decided to reduce the amount and then dominate the world in a different way. It shows God’s effort to try to be a good dominator.

What I like most in the story is how God created the man’s wife. First, God did not force the man to take the women as his wife. When God think it is not good for the man to live alone, God did not casually pick someone to be with the man. However, God brought every creature to the man and saw what he would call it. Later, God took the man’s rib and created the woman. And it is the man himself that realized the importance of the woman and wanted to live together with her.

Second, “He took one of the man’s ribs and closed up its place with flesh”. God used dust to create the man and used the man’s rib to create the woman. What a wonderful combination! It is such a romantic and meaningful way! It shows that women’s status is neither higher nor lower than men’s. A husband and a wife are incorporate. They should leave their homes, find each other and combine with each other. A couple should be close to each other’s heart. A wife not only needs a husband’s love and protection, but also is his best helper and partner, and vice versa.

Book of Genesis is a product of religion. It cannot be proofed by science. Although there is something I do not like, I affirm its value. Because religion can give lost people belief, hope and direction.