“Curse of Eve” — pain as God's punishment?

Amber Larson, Ashley Wells, Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; Stacia Guzzo (feminismandreligion)

Elizabeth Hurley as the devil in the updated "Bedazzled" dressed up like the temptress Eve.

Got religion? Why?

Mr. Hand, why do women suffer so much pain in child labor, menstruation, and with their women's issues?

Adam, am I as beautiful as the Evil One?

Well, children, have you ever read the Bible? It explains everything. Basically you can blame it on God or at least the patriarchs who picked and chose what to include and what to throw out of "the Bible," a set of apocryphal, semi-historic books about a people in the desert. Most got thrown out, you know, so it would fit into a hotel bureau. Who even needs the first half, that old Angry God testament, when the good news is much better, written more for our time? Just ask a Christian.

God made us white, right, Eve?

Ms. Guzzo, why are females cursed with so much more pain than men? Feminismandreligion.com is all about "Exploring the F-word in religion and the intersection between scholarship, activism, and community."

The “Curse of Eve”—Is Pain Our Punishment?

Stacia Guzzo

I have been involved in several interesting discussions lately involving friends asking me what I thought of the so-called “Curse of Eve.”

This “curse,” which is generally used in reference to the pain of childbirth, is assumed from the text of Genesis 3:16a.

"Then he said to the woman, 'I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.'" - NLT interpretation

European-ized Adam and Eve

On one side, I have [heard] friends and colleagues argue that the pains of labor are a direct result of Eve’s sin, and thus all women who bear children will suffer them as a reminder of their inherent sinful nature.

On the other hand, I have had friends question this interpretation: Why, they ask, would God use such an incredible event [bringing new life into the world] to punish us? And what about women who don’t experience any pain in childbirth at all? Or [those] who do not have children? Is God’s punishment reserved for those who procreate? This doesn’t seem to make much sense in a larger spiritual framework.

Well, there was that apple. - Shut up, Adam.

Some additional questions have arisen from these discussions. I had a friend recently ask me, “If a woman is supposed to feel pain in childbirth, is she going against God’s will [to experience lots of pain] if she uses medication to ease her discomfort?”

Another friend brought up the fact that God’s actions are seldom (if ever) random; therefore, what is the transformation that God is expecting from such a punishment?  What does Eve’s “punishment” have to say about how we interact with, communicate with, and love God (and likewise)?

(Crass) Eve Libertine explains a woman's position in "Bata Motel" from the album "Penis Envy" with characteristic liberating punk irony. 

You smell better than he does. - O, Adam!

I’d like to look closely at these questions in a series of posts on the so-called “Curse of Eve.” In these posts, I’d like to propose the following thoughts:

1. The modern translations of the verse greatly influence our interpretation that painful childbirth is a punishment from God;
2. The punishment (not curse) was rather that of relational damage than of literal, bodily pain;
3. The pain of labor is referenced many other times in scripture without reference to sin, and in the New Testament that pain is referred to in a redemptive light. More

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The Story of Channa (Siddhartha's charioteer)

WQ edit of the Wikipedia entry "Channa (Buddhist)"

Prince Siddhartha and Channa see the Four Sights (salagram.net)

Channa (Sanskrit, Chandaka) was a royal servant of the Sakyans and head charioteer of Prince Siddhartha (who became Gautama Buddha). He became a monk and achieved sainthood, as described in the 78th verse of the Dhammapada.

Channa was a servant in the court of King Suddhodana (the Buddha's father) entrusted to attend to the needs of Siddhartha, who had been lavished and pampered in a series of purpose-built palaces in order to shield him from thoughts of pain, suffering, and renunciation. This was because of the prophecy of various ascetics and seers, particularly Asita, who predicted that Siddhartha would renounce the throne to become a spiritual leader if he were to contemplate human suffering.

Channa was the charioteer, pulled by the horse Kanthaka, when Siddhartha saw the Four Sights while meeting his subjects in the Sakyan capital of Kapilavastu. These famous rides prompted his decision to renounce the world.

During these expeditions, Channa explained to Siddhartha the sights of an elderly person, a sick person, a dead person whose funeral was being conducted and finally, an ascetic who had renounced the world for a spiritual life. Siddhartha, who had been secluded from such sights due to his life-long confinement in palaces, was taken aback. Siddhartha later entrusted Channa to accompany him as he escaped the kingdom to become an ascetic, while the palace guards were sleeping.

Initially protesting and refusing to accept his departure, Channa relented. He saddled Kanthaka [1] and guided Siddhartha out of the town aboard the horse to a forest at the edge of the Anoma River [2]. Channa returned to the palace with Siddhartha's royal finery, weapons, and hair to inform Suddhodana of his son's voluntary departure. Siddhartha compelled him to return after Channa refused to leave him.

When Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, he returned to Kapilavastu. Channa seized the opportunity to become a Buddhist monk, joining the Sangha. However, due to his having accompanied the Buddha on his renouncement, Ven. Channa behaved in an overbearing way toward the other monks. He frequently criticized the two chief disciples Sariputta and Moggallana.

In spite of the Buddha's advice and admonishments, Ven. Channa continued to abuse the other monks. So finally, prior to his passing way (parinirvana), the Buddha instructed Ananda to impose the "higher punishment" (brahmadanda) on Ven. Channa: the other monks were simply ignore him. After the Buddha's passing, Ven. Channa learned of the decree. Feeling remorse for his behavior, he fainted three times before asking and obtaining pardon. He eventually became an arahant.

References
1. http://www.rootinstitute.com/buddhism_shakyamuni_sorrow.html
2. www.watlaori.org/who%20is%20buddha.pdf
Ven. Weragoda Sarada Maha Thero (1993). Treasury of Truth: Illustrated Dhammapada.
Electronic copy - verse 78