From: James Jordan <jbjordan4@home.com>
Subject: Re: (whorl) Re: Digest whorl.v012.n105
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 14:19:26 


>Alga wrote:


>So I object to your thesis of Wolfe's using epic as an excuse. Epic is
>more complicated than that. And I hardly think the Middle Eastern view
>of women served up by the Bible--multiple wives and concubines, Mary and
>Martha etc.--is more progressive. Let's not forget that Mary's
>impregnation was exactly the same as that of Zeus's numerous
>ladyfriends. She didn't exactly ask for it, did she?

         Okay, I know your point of view. (I have your book on hell, after 
all.) My point was the influence of the Bible on our culture, and during 
those centuries it was believed that the Bible forbids polygamy and that 
people who practise it suffer for it. Obviously nobody believed that Mary 
and Martha were "wives" of Jesus, and they accepted the text as teaching 
that Mary accepted the role offered her. So, however some modern people may 
read the Bible, I was speaking of its cultural influence over the previous 
1800 years. I don't suppose this is a good topic for this list to discuss 
in detail; I assume you see my point.
         But I grant your point about Homer and the early epics, at least 
to a degree, as I stated in my other post.

King of Rats


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