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Disclaimer: I apologize if my rambling is incomprehensible; the Internet is not my favorite medium for communication, and my writing often strays from its original intent.

 As I mentioned in Thursday's class, I initially felt offended by King's brazen criticism of Genesis and Judeo-Christian society. I do not classify myself as religious, or even a believer, but there is something quite disheartening about having one's religious and cultural background stripped of its magic. People seek truth in belief systems, and so it is often shocking to see the dichotomy between what one believes and how it has shaped him/her, and how reality actually works. As King explains, Western society, shaped by a framework of antiquated Israelite laws, has evolved to see the world as a system of hierarchies and domination systems (Sodom & Gomorrah, Jericho, power-hungry temple priests, the modern Catholic Church). To quote a psalm: "The Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish;" we of the Judeo-Christian society have often felt righteous in our perception of the world, so we have taken it upon ourselves to burn the wicked heathens at the stake. Or force them into slavery...or send them to schools for assimilation...or place them on reservations. Knowing this, King's outrage is understandable and validated. 

Additionally, I appreciate that King acknowledges that stories are not just cultural, but a personal means of evolution. I'm not elaborating further because I have another essay to write.

Moving on...I read/watched the Mayan creation myth. I knew the basics of the myth - that the gods required three attempts to perfect humanity, that they used clay, and then wood, and then corn to do so - but I did not realize that the gods made one final alteration to humanity. According to the myth, the gods discovered that humans had vision as powerful as the deities'. Displeased with the people's power, the gods diminished the humans' sight, creating weaker, subservient beings. Having posted Genesis' creation myth, I knew that the Abrahamic God used similar measures to restrict human power and remain omnipotent. The God of Genesis created the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, whose consumption He forbade. When God's first people eventually ate the fruit of the tree, and gained the forbidden knowledge, God exiled them from paradise and made them mortal. "...But the way of the wicked will perish."