April
19, 2004
Today is the day to start the stadium tour.
There is new stuff in the latest section. And I will be in the great, mythical land of "Canada" later this week. Stay tuned for details.
The BYT is back to answer a question about you-know-who. I'm sure you have a query about God, or lack of God, or religion, or what have you. Religion is a nutty thing, as we all know. Send him an email! Perhaps you'd like to ask him something relating to the beauty that is faith and the mysticism that involves being a Cubs fan.
Dear BYT,
God created Adam in his image, and Eve from the rib of Adam, so does that mean he uses his own ribs to make other way cool things as well? If so, what are they? Personally, I would make the assertion that Jack In The Box tacos are made of God riblets. They may not be as filling as a good woman, but every bit as desirable (and mysterious for that matter).
I have no idea about riblets. Or Jack in the Box. You probably made them both up.
I cannot speculate on the other way cool things God makes out of his ribs, or Adam’s ribs, for that matter. God does not work a BBQ, nor is are there picnics in heaven.
That said, Adam and Eve—if not completely mythic, which, let’s get this straight, they were—were not likely created and placed in Eden, as described in Genesis. This is a story. Much like riblets coming from Jack in the Box. Eden was not a real place, nor, can I imagine, is JitB.
The rib pulled from Adam’s side was meant to indicate true partnership and equality, their being of the same body, in a literal way, in this figurative story. Both, then—you are right—they were made in the image of God, according to the story, further suggesting their equality. It was a shame about the snake causing all the trouble and blame.
But, basically, the story about the ribs explains the existence of sex differences among humans. In Hebrew, male and female of a species are designated by masculine and feminine forms of the same word. The human being, or ‘adam (which resembles the Hebrew word for ground or earth, ‘adamah, from which Adam was formed), renames himself after the rib is removed from his side, calling himself ‘ish (man), who becomes the partner to the ‘ishshah (woman). There is no mention of sauce or a pit for cooking. Genesis then establishes that man and woman, having come from one flesh, would become again one flesh, which (no blushing) is the biblical proof for the origin of human society.
These verses in Genesis are pretty amazing, really: In four verses (Genesis 2.22-25) the writer provides the myth explaining the origin of the division and equality of sexes and the origin of human society. No word on riblets.