Genesis

Oh, part way through the evening, after one pissing match or two, she brought me this quote:

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).

and said, "This haunts me"

I said, "What do you think that it means?"

M, "I think it's more important to know what YOU think it means. You were the one who was the Bible-thumper when you were young."

I just said, well in the context of the times, it's certainly a reference to a young man leaving the household of his parents and establishing his own. However, it's certainly not meant to be taken as ending a relationship with the parents or literally having nothing to do with them.

After all, how would that play in to the commandment, "Honor your father and your mother"?


I then countered with, "What about the old saw: 'a son is a son until he takes a wife. A daughter is a daughter all of her life".

How is it that in traditional terms as you are viewing it, a man is supposed to "leave his parents" but a daughter is allowed / expected to retain a relationship with hers? How is that appropriate???

She didn't have much answer to that.