[Vision2020] (no subject)

[Joan Opyr]

On Apr 23, 2006, at 9:20 PM, Michael wrote:

> Joan Writes:
> Historically, marriage was until very recently an economic exchange of 
> goods, and that exchange was made between men. Women were chattel, 
> property, and those worth exchanging brought with them real goods -- 
> gold, land, a herd of goats. What we have gradually come to accept in 
> more modern times is that marriage is now a relationship between two 
> people, not two fathers…
>  
>  
> Joan,
>  
> I am open to see evidence for this claim outside of the Hebraic 
> tradition and I’m sure the Hebraic narrative is full of intersections 
> with its more general cultural contexts on this issue as well as any 
> other.  However, as for the biblical text, I just can’t see how this 
> claim could be supported as is.  In fact, my hypothesis is that the 
> author(s) of Genesis not only expressed marriage as a relationship 
> between a man and woman, but consciously contrasted legal marital 
> tradition from the relational ‘essence’ of marriage.  If this is even 
> plausible, then your thesis would be implausible. Not only do you have 
> the beautiful story of Adam and Eve, you have marriages formed through 
> romantic attraction, familial permission, feasting, and the all 
> important sex.  The first marriage ‘covenant’ we see in Genesis was 
> actually between the man and the father (yet not between father and 
> father), but the story makes it clear that this was many years and 
> many children after the actual marital relationship had begun.  And 
> then consider the prophets, who begin using marriage as theological 
> metaphor, and emphasize the passion, jealousy, and love in doing so; 
> the law has to come in on a separate Mosaic track.  What do you think 
> about this? I sincerely look forward to your colorful response!....

Hi Michael,

I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I gave some serious thought to your 
observations re: Adam and Eve.  I don't disagree with your assessment 
of that relationship, but what of the Jewish oral tradition of Lilith, 
Adam's first wife?  Lilith was not created from Adam to be Adam's 
helpmeet; she was coeval with Adam and, according to the story, Adam 
cast her off because he was horrified when she assumed the female 
superior position during sex.  (Sorry to be even mildly graphic here.  
You did say you looked forward to a colorful response.)  Quite apart 
from Adam and Eve, what do we do with the Biblical patriarchs?  Solomon 
had 700 wives and 300 concubines; did he have a male-female 
relationship as we understand that term with 1000 different women?  And 
still he had time to run his kingdom both wisely and well?  Solomon: 
multi-tasking without a PDA.

We find Abraham and Sarah interrupted by Abraham and Hagar, and then 
Sarah compelling Abraham to cast Hagar and her child out into the 
wilderness.  If we're using marriage as a theological metaphor, and if, 
as you say, the first "marital" relationship was between God the father 
and Adam, then does God have multiple wives and multiple  husbands?  
What does this do to/for the argument against/for same-sex marriage?  
You've opened a very interesting can of worms here, Michael.  Let's 
pick through it for the best night-crawlers and go fishing . . .

Again, my point regarding marriage historically is that it was an 
exchange of goods (chattel) between men.  It was not a love 
relationship between one man and one woman, but a real estate deal 
between father and father, or father and son-in-law.  I don't believe 
for a moment that Solomon married 700 women because he had a 
relationship with each and every one; I think he might have contracted 
marriages the way Jay Leno buys cars.  It's all about the acquisition 
of wealth.

There now.  I'm over my daily posting limit, but I'm off to DC and 
won't be back until Sunday, so you can all enjoy the peace and quiet.  
(Shall I give your regards to the Lincoln Memorial, Doug Wilson?)

Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
www.joanopyr.com

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