I've always wondered why Eve is considered such a bad example by most people.  I agree with you, she was the first to eat the forbidden fruit, then tempted Adam, but she later not only rose above that act, but became the woman she was meant to be.

I've heard people say that Eve was somehow an afterthought for God.. that He decided to create woman as a result of some realized mistake.  Like God looked down and thought.  "WOW, I made a male and female of all species, how did I miss that?  My bad." ;~D

But we know from Genesis 1:26-28 that He actually created both at the same time.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.   28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Of course he placed their bodies into the garden at different times, using the dust of the earth to create a body for Adam and a rib from Adam's side to create a body for Eve. 

This teaches us that God didn't put one before the other... and as you point out, Chris never once taught that women should be considered lower than men.

To me Eve is more an inspiration than a villain.  She had every reason to completely shun God.  She could have blamed Him for every hardship she went through after being cast out of the Garden of Eden.  She could have whined that her punishment was too severe and taught her kids to resent God and the life they have.. in fact, she could very well have refused to obey the 'Be fruitful and mulitiply" commandment.

Where would mankind be if she didn't humble herself and repent from the evil she committed?

No he couldn't have. Remember Chap 1 is an overview and Chap 2 is topical so it centers around the creation of the first couple only in Chap 2.    He had to put Adam to sleep so Adam was created first.  Also Paul wrote:

"For Adam was first formed then Eve."  1 Timothy 2:13

We can't know exactly the diff between the time periods but we can see that God made mention:

"it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper."  2:18 and

"Adam gave names to all cattle and to the fowl of the air and to every beast of the field but for Adam there was no heper for him."  2:20

So thy couldn't have been made at the same time.   And if you look at 2:15-18 you'll see it was only Adam that God put into the garden first and only Adam that he gave the command to.  It was only Adam who named all the animals (must have taken some time) and then he put him to sleep creating Eve from his rib. 

but yes, God had in mind right from the beginning that both would be created so it's as you said it wasn't a mistake and I imagine Adam was some excited to wake up from that nap! 

She was human.  I think we can learn from each other's mistakes more than anything.  I see Eve's failure here but soon I will show her faith after the fall. 

All too often male Preachers love to preach on the Proverbs 31 woman.  It's like the perfect example of womanhood that is not attainable.  Woman groan when they hear of her. Solomon wrote that piece but he himself having had 1,000 wives still never found this perfect woman.   But Eve is someone we can all relate to and I've never once heard a Mother's Day sermon on her.  Have you? 

I don't see her humbleness until she had Seth. Is that where you see it?  Then I think she finally got it.  I'll explain what I mean when I continue onto the next section. 

You are assuming that their bodies were made the same time as their spirits.  Adam's body was made of the dust of the earth, but his spirit wasn't.  Eve's body was formed from one of Adam's ribs, but her spirit isn't from a rib.

I guess that depends on what preachers you are listening to.

Cain and Abel were both raised to offer sacrifices.  We have no record of exactly who taught them to do that, but it's a fair guess that they were taught by their parents.  Cain didn't just pop into existance when he offered the rejected sacrifice.  In fact, if he wasn't ever taught how an acceptable sacrifice was to be done, he never would have known he was rebelling.

Well that's how it looks when you read it.  God created Adam and then breathed into him.  I can't see anything that says they were created at the same time as I outlined above. 

many different ones over the years and from diff denominations.  Popular Mother's Day Sermons seem to either be the story of Hannah or the Proverbs 31 Virtuous Woman but I've heard others around Ruth and Naomi, Mary and Jesus at the wedding of Cana etc.  I've just never heard one on Eve before and she was named Eve by Adam because she was the mother of all living.  What kind of messages do you hear on Mother's Day? 

Ya, but I'm not going to go that far.  My subject is more centered around Eve.  But the story of Cain and Abel is very interesting.  There is a debate centered around what was offered and why Cain's was not accepted. 

So are you saying that creating Eve was some "plan B" that God had to come up with after realizing he didn't create a female human?   Do you think that God's plan was frustrated when Eve ate the fruit?

no to both.  How do you get that I think that from reading what I wrote?  Did you not read when I said this: 

All I'm saying is like I wrote in #2 it's clear they were made separately.  Not together as you first mentioned.  It's not even a debatable topic because it's written so clearly so I'm not understanding your point here. 

True....Hmmmm....so why not one word in your entire article about the most important Mother of all.....The Blessed Virgin Mary?

Afterall, the Blessed Virgin Mary was the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Word became flesh.

As Adam was a type of Jesus Christ, Romans 5:14, Eve was a type of Our Lady. Through Adam, sin and death came to all mankind; and through Jesus Christ we have received grace and eternal life. Eve consented to sin, and by her fiat, the Blessed Virgin Mary consented to redemption by consenting to becoming the Mother of the Redeemer. Eve, by her sin, brought misery on mankind, and the Blessed Mother through her Son brought salvation. 

Eve was, in a natural sense, according to the flesh, the mother of all the living and the Blessed Mother Mary was so in a supernatural sense the spiritual Mother of all the faithful. 

you can back this up with scripture? 

Did you notice that it says in Gen 3:20 that Eve is the mother of ALL living?  Never says that about Mary.  And she's not the most important Mother of all.  She's important yes, but not the most important even though it says she is blessed AMONG women.  If it wasn't for Eve, Mary wouldn't even have been here. 

Where in the world did you get this from?  Scripture please?   Mary married the Holy Spirit?  Are you kidding? I've never ever heard such a thing nor can it be backed up with scripture.   So Mary committed adultery when she married Joseph? 

But not the most important you say? .......Who then is more important than the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ? Oh wait....you've already answered...in your estimation Eve is. How incredibly sad!

As I said.....not one word in your entire article about the most important Mother of all...the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

the only reason you're saying such things Lula is because of your Mary worship of her.  It's an emotional issue with you because of your training.  I know because I was going in that direction.  I clearly remember well my devotion (misplaced) when it came to Mary as well.  It's part of the RCC catechism. 

God gives each one of us gifts and talents.  We are all unique.  She's  unique in the fact she was used as a vessel to birth the Savior.  No one else can claim that.  Eve is unique because she was  created as the first woman with no mother or father and she came from man where the rest of us come thru women.  No one else can claim what Eve went thru.  Same with Esther, Ruth, Hannah etc. 

Even Eve recognized the Savior would come from her when she said what she said at the birth of Seth (if you read my third entry on this subject).   She knew the seed would come from her initially thru Seth.  Mary came from Ruth's line and so forth.  If it wasn't for Ruth there would be no Mary.  If it wasn't for Eve there would have been no Ruth.   

I noticed you never gave any scripture reference to my requests for it.  This is where scripture and tradition part ways Lula.  Let's stick to scripture and we should be able to mostly agree. 

Your continuance in holding up Eve shows that you still stubbornly refuse to accept the obvious.

It's there. Prophesied in Isaias and fulfilled in St. Luke and St. Matthew.

lula

False accusation.

It would go a long way in your theological growth to learn the difference between worshipping and honoring the Mother of God.

It is precisely because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ that Catholics honor her (while it's obvious you don't to the point of neglect as least as far as your article is concerned)!

soooooo that's it?  That's how you back up your statement with scripture?  Hmmmmm. 

Let me ask again... where in scripture does it say that Mary was married to the Holy Spirit? 

Where does it say that Mary is the mother of all the spiritual? 

I showed you exactly where it says Eve was the mother of all living (Gen 3:20).  So far you haven't proven your end of things.  There's a reason for your skirting the issue.  It's all tradition Lula.  Not scriptural. 

Besides...this article was about Eve.  Not Mary.

You know what's really sad Lula?  Someone who is so indoctrinated by a religion they don't see the obvious nor would they accept it if it were shown them.  That is really sad.