Ain’t that the truth. Daniel Dennett talks a lot about the self-replicating meme of religion, and how control mechanisms greatly enhance its survival.

Case in point: I went through a period of questioning religion in college, no doubt as I started learning something worthwhile beyond what I was taught in church.

Instead of pursuing my questions, however, I got scared sh**less when I recognized that I was starting to DOUBT. There was such a strong taboo about doubt, and so much teaching that doubt came from satan, that I was really frightened that I was under satanic attack.

I wound up rebuking satan, praying in tears, and eventually shoving all my (legitimate) questions ‘under the rug.’ For the next 15 years. After which they surfaced again and eventually led me to where I am now.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened in my life if I’d remained open to entertaining those doubts and pursuing those questions when so many decisions were still ahead of me. Sigh.

That is exactly why women are better off without christianity.

His point was highlighting her cherry picking.

BTW – for those who said this is cherry pickin, I have yet to see a religious institutuion which does not cherry pick to meet their dogma needs.

You see, that’s just it. Fundies SAY it’s included, but still presume she is under the curse by making her subordinate. Yet men are never reminded over and over that they listened to Eve (as if that’s literal and might that not have been a good thing?) and are therefore weak. It’s Ye Old Double Standard. Adam gets a free pass and headship for taking Eve’s word for it, but Eve is the mother of sin for taking the “serpent’s” word for it (and who put the serpent there????)

Besides the whole story being a good allegory for Eve’s listening to the serpent (spiral) wisdom of Goddess, as she should have, rather than stupid rules about a garden and knowledge. Sheesh!