Genesis

            I have never read the bible before because I do not view myself as a religious person. I have not read the bible purely out of disinterest and disagreement with organized religion as a whole. Of course throughout high school the Bible was referenced in a historical context, but nothing more. Having never read the bible before, I was unsure what to expect out of it. I like to think of myself as a person who relies heavily on logic, and the notion that everything has an explanation. Science is my thing.

            While reading Genesis in the bible I noticed that there are a lot of things that I don't agree with. The idea that women were created from men and are less than men does not sit well with me. How could men be around if women are the ones who give birth to them? This lead to the patriarchal society we live in today.  Another thing that I did not particularly like about Genesis was that God created the earth. There are scientific explanations for how the earth came to be and how life evolved here. Genesis tells about how God came to the people he created and would tell them things such as what not to do, what is right, and what is wrong. I feel that in this instance, God is a symbol of morals. I believe this is a positive thing that the bible can contribute to everyday life since morals are what drive people to care for one another.

            After reading Genesis, I thought about today's world and how the events portrayed are far less possible. People do not openly talk about their faith because of fear of offending other people. Also people who push their religious beliefs on others are not thought highly of. Today, people do not always look to God to answer their problems the way that Abraham did in Genesis. Many, but not all, people today are more concerned with their lives and investigate what they can do to better it themselves rather than leave their goals and aspirations in the hands of God.  People are more proactive.

            Another thing that I thought interesting while reading Genesis was that these events could not happen today because of modern medicine and current views of mental health. If someone today said that God was talking to them then people would question their sanity. In today's world, doing things because God spoke out loud to you to is a sign that there is something wrong with you mentally that needs to be addressed. Genesis tells about how God told to build an arc and make sure that all of the animals were aboard it because there was going to be a flood. If a man was to tell you today that he was building an arc because he was told by God that there was going to be a flood you would certainly question this man's sanity.

            On a different note however, I was interested in the part of Genesis in which Abraham had a child with his wife's Egyptian maid and then later had another son with his wife. I was intrigued by this because I learned about this in my History of Civilization class. The two sons were the founders of two different religions. The bible is a Christian text, yet in it one can learn about the birth of the Jewish and Islamic religions. 

            After reading Genesis, I further believed that the bible could be used as an important text in a western humanities class because to understand humanities it is important to understand the religious beliefs of different people. Without the basic understanding of religious views, it may be difficult to understand how different cultures function. Many cultures base their ways of life and laws on the religions they follow.