The Murderous Root of Religion
According to Genesis, after Adam and Eve are thrown out of Eden, their offspring pioneer the first primitive industries. Two of their sons, Cain and Abel, are described as the first farmers and shepherds, respectively. They also practiced something that was unknown to their parents in Eden: religion.
Although the story never suggests that God required it, both Cain and Abel religiously sacrifice a portion of their harvest to God. God apparently was displeased with Cain’s burnt offering of grain and/or fruit, whereas he looked favorably on the blood offerings of Abel. Or at least, that is what Cain and Abel assumed. We can only surmise that Abel experienced better fortune than Cain, leading them to this understanding.
Whatever the case, Cain was jealous of Abel and killed him. The very first murder recorded in the Hebrew scriptures shows us that a (mis)understanding of God was the cause; the first recorded incident of religious violence.
While in the Garden, Adam and Eve did not offer sacrifice to God, yet it was not long before their fallen children determined that this was the best way to earn God’s favor. No sooner did they begin this practice was its inherent evil tragically exposed.
It is hard to imagine that God would promote such a dubious system. Yet much of Western Christian theology is based upon the idea that God requires sacrifice – even that of his own son - in order for His wrath to be appeased. This is in spite of the fact that scriptures quite explicitly tell us otherwise. The prophet Micah says that God is not interested in our sacrifice but to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with Him. (Micah 6:8)
Yet we do not listen to the prophets and history continues to repeat itself.
I was always under the understanding that the difference in the offerings of Cain and Abel was that one gave what was left after the harvest = leftovers, and the other gave what he had that was best. somehow the leftovers was more of an insult than an offering for a King. I will have to go look over that passage again.
God doesn’t require a burnt offering any more. Jesus was the ultimate blood shed. But Romans 12:1 says that we are to be a living offering to God, and Paul states things like , pouring out his life..all of which i think are offering to God in worship, not song, but in our daily living.
Good things to think on today, and to look into.
History does seem to repeat itself, and too many think God does not speak anymore. If a person does prophesy, too many are unbelieving and true…they do not listen.
I love the Micah verse, one of my favorite focus points!
That’s always been what I had thought as well, Darla. But if you read the actual verses;
…you see that this is not said. It does say that Abel brought FAT portions so perhaps it is assumed that Cain did not bring FIRST fruits, as it is not mentioned. But that I think that is an intuitive leap made to have the original story conform to a sacrificial agenda. Something that religion – the church- has a strong vested interest in.
On the other hand, some see this as the Abel symbolizing the gentility of animal husbandry–verses the sweat, toil, and gamble of the emergence of the Agrarian lifestyle–or that which is represented by Cain.
The Tillers killed the Herders–and the tillers were forced to labor ceaslessly to reap a subsistence living (which was the case well into the 20th century, and of course in many places in “developing” nations is still the case.
In other words, Paradise Lost.
Yes, I’ve heard that analogy as well, and I think it works.
Going back to what Darla said;
I think it’s interesting that we get this idea of Cain skimping on his offering – not giving his ‘first fruits’ – not from anything explicit in Genesis but much, much, later in the letter to the Hebrews. These letters have been used over the centuries to keep the ‘faithful’ faithful to the Church, which often translates to supporting the church financially. 2000 years later and we have Paula White pitching the same con.
Ooh. Was that too cynical?
this is interesting..i have questioned this too, and seem to only come up with theories and analogies and wondering what it is then that made one better than the other..
hahaha you cynical? thought it was funny myself!
Christian – The story of Cain and Able has always, at least to me, been the one place in the Bible that has caused me much pain.
I can not think of any better example of shame than to be born of parents flawed enough to fall from grace, and be deposed from Eden.
And then to attempt to right this poor behavior, and restore through righteous acts the character of the parents by bringing the best of your labor to the Father of all Fathers – and then to have that not matter, to have it be defined as not enough or improperly displayed; that to me is to suffer even more of a profound nakedness than the nakedness experienced by the parents in the first place.
And to have the family of man procreate from this point into the future…well as a poet, it’s not then hard to understand the madness which surrounds us today.
Guilt is recoverable through redemption (through changes in behavior)…but Shame, especially when experienced from the core of a being, feels more un-recoverable and seems to function more like a stain, which is un-washable…
I like your site Christian, even though I seldom comment here, I still think your awesome…and you cause even this agnostic to think, and for that I thank you…
Poetman
Jeesh. I don’t know what to say to that. Thanks.
Gee Chris, you are awesome.
You all don’t know Chris like I do–I get to be in his awesome presence whenever I want to bask in the glow of his glory.
Huh-Huh-Huh.
You are such a putz.
Let me present another idea in the context of Genesis:
Before the fall there was no sacrifice or killing known. Cain and Able were actually not the first to do either… God was. After the fall Adam and Eve took fig leaves to hide their nakedness (their sin) God killed the animals to cover them and did not accept the leaves as an adequate covering. (Symbolic of blood sacrifice… Hebrews 9:22, states, without the shedding of blood there is no remission). When God saw Cain’s anger He offered Cain a way out: Gen 4:6: And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? _7: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
(side note: the Hebrew word here means “may” not “shalt”) It makes a difference.
God also told Cain that the blood of his brother cried up from the ground and the ground would no longer yield its fruits for Cain’s toil and banished him from the family that chose to serve God, and Cain chose not to serve Him as did his descendants.
Just some other thoughts to toss around. There’s a great message in there somewhere… there always is.
So God sacrificed to Himself?
Hmm.
And how long was the period before the Fall?
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
Sorry,Net. I can’t hang with the KJV
.
Anyway, here God seems to be saying that right behavior is what God requires. He does not mention sacrifice. As for God providing them with skins…they were going to be leaving Eden right? And experiencing the toils and torments of the ‘real’ world; it stamds to reason that fig leaves weren’t going to do the job.
I think that the writer’s of Genesis may have backed some of their history into the story, coming up with an ancestral source for the nomadic and
‘godless’ people they encountered in that part of the world. Later generations of Christians would assert that dark skinned people were Cain’s descendents. (Though how they could have survived the Flood remains a disputed mystery.) I do not read where God has cursed Cain but that Cain has cursed himself for choosing murder and continues to curse himself for abandoning God.
Christ’s blood aside, do you think that it was sacificial animal blood that remitted the sins of the Jews? In spite of what some of the prophets said?
Bruce and Chris,
Are you saying that Adam and Eve were Jews in the religious sense and therefore subject to the laws of Moses? God was just laying the groundwork for His favored people right? Where did A&E get the idea of sacrificing in the first place? Why did God accept oil and grain in Leviticus and not from Cain? Animal blood (The unspotted lamb) was for the yearly atonement in the Jew’s ritualistic religious ceremonies.
All I was trying to show was idea that there are many interpretations of the why’s the Bible presents and to pick one is as silly as making-up a new one. It shouldn’t affect one’s relationship with God or Christ or the Spirit and no real truth will likely be found, so why bother?
Just wondering?
Why bother? C’mon Net, you’ve been as critical of organized religion as anyone I know. And not just because you are a cantakorous old coot (like me) but because you see the disservice that religion has done to many in the name of God. Because there is more to God than our own personal relationship – there is Biblical precedent for communal and societal transformation and salvation.
I think God’s favored people had a need to understand precisely how God laid the groundwork for their later evolution, hence the stories we find in Genesis. I don’t think they actually occurred (we’ve already covered that ground) but the truth that is found within these stories is authentic. What this particular story tells me is that religious sacrifice is a tradition of men, not of God, that it contains a violent element that can lead to more violence, that the idea of transferring the sins of society onto scapegoats comes from this tradition and that is why we so easily gravitate towards the idea that Jesus is the blood sacrifice required for our sins. But to me, the Cross points out how very wrong this violent extension of primitive sacrifice is and how its incorporation into our view of God has enabled us to continue sacrificing others for our own benefit. Just as we sacrificed Jesus.
Good for you!
I finally found a way to get you to express your opinions in an honest, straight-forward dialog. Yes I agree the creation of religion was one of man’s greatest blunders. Or perhaps it wasn’t their creation of religion but their dedicated worship of its’ humanistic elements. All the stories in the Bible when analyzed spiritually come alive with God’s message and that is how we can best accomplish His will, in His way, for His purposes and our future life with Him…
“I only do what I see (imagine) the Father doing.” Do it your own way or someone else’s way and reap the natural consequences. Remember I said there was a great message in the story of Cain and Able and whatever understanding we glean at any given moment will never be the entire message until “all is revealed”. It’s good to hear all sides of people’s input in order to develop our own acceptable understanding.
That make sense?
Sure did. Sorry it’s been so tough for you to get me to speak my mind. Like pulling teeth, huh?
But that’s the problem with ’speaking one’s mind’ on the subject of God. Once you have distinctly stated precisely what you think God IS then you must reconsider this tomorrow. Or else fall into false idolatry.
Thanks to you, Chris, AND everyone else for this great back and forth….
Your welcome, Marley. How about tossing in your 2 cents. I’m sure you would provide an interesting spiritual perspective.