When a Book Opens With a Talking Snake, Why Read the Rest of It



Wife and I spent our usual Christmas day at our daughter's house near us. Three college-age granddaughters were there. 

Two of the granddaughters and wife and I were visiting when wife gave me her pleading look and asked, "Would you get me a cup of coffee?" I immediately went into the schtick the two of us do every day. I replied, "Getting men to do what you want is what Eve did. Eve and women gave us the Original Sin and that's why we have to work today." She usually replies, "Poor Adam. So stupid."

Our little inside joke caught our granddaughters off guard. One asked what that is all about. I realized that since they went to a liberal church when younger and have not been back since they did not know or remember the Original Sin story. So, I started to tell them the story. "Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden when this talking snake told them...." I couldn't finish the sentence because the granddaughters started laughing loudly at the talking snake. 

When I was able to complete the story with Eve being the one who first committed the sin, the sociology major granddaughter said, "And that was written by men, right?" Perhaps this explains how and why a majority of young people who grew up in the faith leave as young adults.   

  

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