As you read that sentence, I bet that many of you agreed with it because you had learned this “truth” as a child. (Did you agree? Be honest!) It’s not true, but that doesn’t stop us from believing it. A surprisingly large number of Christian Americans were taught and still believe that the creation story in Genesis dictates that men have one less rib bone than women. We believe many untrue things because we have read about it in the Bible.
“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Genesis 2:21-22
The Adam and Eve story has led some people to believe that men have one fewer rib than women. This isn’t true. The vast majority of people have 12 sets, or 24 ribs, no matter their sex. People born with certain conditions may have too many or too few ribs, but these are exceptions to the rule.
What we are taught and learn to believe as children is difficult to unlearn as adults. Most of us believe with little questioning the very things that our parents believed, who believed what their parents believed and so on.
When we begin to question…and we teach our children to question everything…even the basic tenets of faith, we break the cycle of false belief and we move closer to the truth.
Anything worthy of our devotion should be at the very least, true.
