In Christianity and Judaism, the curse of Cain and the mark of Cain refer to the Biblical passages in the Book of Genesis chapter 4, where God declared that Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, was cursed, and placed a mark upon him to warn others that killing Cain would provoke the vengeance of God. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... In stories common to the Abrahamic religions, Cain or Káyin (קַיִן / קָיִן spear Standard Hebrew Qáyin, Tiberian Hebrew Qáyin / Qāyin; Arabic قايين QāyÄ«n in the Arabic Bible; قابيل QābÄ«l in Islam) is the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the first man born in creation... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ...

Biblical reference

The Bible refers to the curse of Cain in the fourth chapter of the Book of Genesis. This passage describes two brothers, Cain and Abel. Cain, the older, "was a tiller of the ground", while Abel "was a keeper of sheep". (Book of Genesis 4:2). Eventually, each of the brothers performed a sacrifice to God; Cain sacrificed some of his crops to God, while Abel sacrificed "of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof". (Gen. 4:4.) When God accepted Abel's offering, but not Cain's, Cain's "countenance fell",^[1] and he attacked Abel and killed him in the field.^[2] Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Cain and Abel redirect here. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ...

When God confronted Cain about Abel's death, God cursed him, stating:

"What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."^[3]

As an act of irony, the curse by God focused strictly on neutralizing the benefits of Cain's primary skill, cultivating crops. When Cain complained that the curse was too strong, and that anyone who found him would kill him, God responded, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over," and God "put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him."^[4]

Interpretations

Modern

There is no scholarly consensus as to the original meaning and significance of the curse and mark of Cain. Because the name Cain (or qayin in Hebrew, meaning spear), is identical with the name Kenite (also qayin in Hebrew), some scholars speculate that the curse of Cain may have arisen as a condemnation of the Kenites. In the Bible, however, the Kenites are generally described favorably, and may have had an important influence on the early Hebrew religion. The Kenites or Kainites (in Hebrew, Kainim) were a tribe of the ancient Levant, possibly a branch of the Midianite nation. ...

There is also no clear consensus as to what Cain's mark would be. The word translated as "mark" in Gen. 4:15 is 'owth, which could mean a sign, an omen, a warning, or a remembrance. In the Torah, the same word is used to describe the stars as signs or omens,^[5] the rainbow as the sign of the flood (Gen. 9:12), circumcision as a token of God's covenant with Abraham,^[6] and the miracles performed by Moses before Pharaoh. Thus, the text of the Bible only explicitly describes how the mark was to function as a sign or warning, not what form the mark took.^{[citation needed]} Template:Jews and Jewdaism Template:The Holy Book Named TorRah The Torah () is the most valuable Holy Doctrine within Judaism,(and for muslims) revered as the first relenting Word of Ulllah, traditionally thought to have been revealed to Blessed Moosah, An Apostle of Ulllah. ... This article is about male circumcision. ... For other uses, see Abraham (name) and Abram (disambiguation). ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ... For other uses, see Pharaoh (disambiguation). ...

Cain's curse and mark have been interpreted in several ways. Following the literal Biblical text, most scholars interpret the "curse" as Cain's inability to cultivate crops and his necessity to lead a nomadic lifestyle. They interpret the "mark" as a warning to others, but are unable to determine the form of the mark from the Biblical text.^{[citation needed]}

Historically, some Christians have interpreted the Biblical passages so that the "mark" is thought to be part of the "curse". In 18th century America and Europe, it was commonly assumed that Cain's "mark" was black skin, and that Cain's descendants were black and still under Cain's curse. Accepting the theory that God had cursed black people, racists have used the curse as a Biblical justification for racism. These racial and ethnic interpretations of the curse and the mark have been largely abandoned even by the most conservative theologians since the mid-20th century, although the theory still has some following among white supremacists and an older generation of whites, as well as a very small minority of Christian churches.^{[citation needed]} For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... White supremacy is a racist ideology which holds the belief that white people are superior to other races. ...

Zohar

The Zohar, a Jewish text, states that the mark of Cain was the letter vav.^{[citation needed]} The Zohar (Hebrew: זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ...   Vav or waw is the sixth letter of many Semitic alphabets, including Phoenician, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic in abjadi order; it is the twenty-seventh in modern Arabic order. ...

Early and modern Christian

According to some scholars, some early interpretations of the Bible in Syriac Christianity combined the "curse" with the "mark", and interpreted the curse of Cain as black skin.^[7] Relying on rabbinic texts, it is argued, the Syriacs interpreted a passage in the Book of Genesis ("And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell") as implying that Cain underwent a permanent change in skin color.^[8] Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      Syriac Christianity is a culturally and... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ...

Ephrem the Syrian (306-378): “Abel was bright as the light, / but the murderer (Cain) was dark as the darkness".^[9] Ephrem the Syrian (Syriac: , ;Greek: ; Latin: Ephraem Syrus; 306–373) was a deacon, prolific Syriac language hymn writer and theologian of the 4th century. ...

In an Eastern Christian (Armenian) Adam-book (5th or 6th century) it is written: “And the Lord was wroth with Cain. . . He beat Cain’s face with hail, which blackened like coal, and thus he remained with a black face".^[10]

The Irish Saltair na Rann (The Versified Psalter, AD 988), records Gabriel announcing to Adam: "Dark rough senseless Cain is going to kill Abel".^[11]

According to Catholic mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich, "Cain's posterity gradually became colored. Hams children also were browner than those of Shem. The nobler races were always of a lighter color. They who were distinguished by a particular mark engendered children of the same stamp; and as corruption increased, the mark also increased until at last it covered the whole body, and people became darker and darker. But yet in the beginning there were no people perfectly black; they became so only by degrees" [1]. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (8 September 1774 - 9 February 1824) was a Catholic Augustinian nun, stigmatic, and ecstatic. ...

African slave trade

The curse of Cain has been used as an explanation for the dark skin shades of people in various parts of Africa, and as a justification for racism and slavery, and a ban in interracial marriage. These racial implications are closely linked to the related implications derived from the curse of Ham doctrine, which has a much longer history, and has often been combined (or some would say conflated) with the curse of Cain doctrine, as well as the "curse of Esau" doctrine. A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... Manifestations Slavery Racial profiling Lynching Hate speech Hate crime Genocide (examples) Ethnocide Ethnic cleansing Pogrom Race war Religious persecution Blood libel Paternalism Police brutality Movements Policies Discriminatory Race / Religion / Sex segregation Apartheid Redlining Internment Ethnocracy Anti-discriminatory Emancipation Civil rights Desegregation Integration Equal opportunity Counter-discriminatory Affirmative action Racial quota... Slave redirects here. ... Othello and Desdemona from William Shakespeares Othello, a play often depicted as concerning a biracial couple. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him. ... Logic In logic, conflation is the error of treating two distinct concepts as if they were one. ...

An early American reference to the mark of Cain doctrine in the context of modern racial issues was in a poem by Phyllis Wheatley, herself a black slave, who wrote in 1773, "Remember Christians, Negroes black as Cain, May be refined and joined the angelic train".^{[citation needed]} Phillis Wheatley Phillis Wheatley (1753 - December 5, 1784), also spelled Phylis Wheatley, was born in Senegal in Africa, but was captured and sold into slavery at the age of 7. ...

Adoption by Protestant groups

The split between the Northern and Southern Baptist organizations was over slavery and the education of slaves, and by the 18th century, about 40 percent of Southern Baptist preachers in South Carolina owned slaves. At the time of the split, the Southern Baptist group used the curse of Cain as a justification for the practice. In fact, most 19th and early 20th century Southern Baptist congregations in the southern United States taught that there were two separate heavens; one for blacks, and one for whites.^[12] The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a United States-based Christian denomination that consists of numerous agencies including six seminaries, two mission boards and a variety of other organizations such as: the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, which can act for the SBC ad interim between annual meetings...

The doctrine was used to support a ban on ordaining blacks to most Protestant clergies until the 1960s in the U.S. and Europe. The Coptic, Ethiopian, Orthodox, Thomasite and Catholic church did not recognize these interpretations and did not participate in the religious movement to support them. Certain Catholic Diocese in the Southern United States did adopt a policy of not ordaining blacks to oversee, administer sacraments to, or accept confessions from white parishioners. This policy was not based on a Curse of Cain teaching, but was justified by any possible perceptions of having slaves rule over their masters. (Dictionary of African-American Slavery) Coptic is an adjective referring to the original inhabitants of Egypt, the Copts. ... The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (Ityopiya, Amharic ኢትዮጵያ) is a country situated in the Horn of Africa. ... in Christianity: Eastern Christianity Oriental Orthodoxy Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy by country in Judaism: Orthodox Judaism Modern Orthodox Judaism Jewish organisations: Orthodox Union Categories: ... Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ...

Baptists and other denominations including Pentecostals officially taught or practiced various forms of racial segregation well into the mid-to-late-20th century, though members of all races were accepted at worship services after the 1970s and 1980s when many official policies were changed. In fact, it wasn't until 1995, that the Southern Baptist Convention officially renounced its "racist roots."^[13] Nearly all Protestant groups in America had supported the notion that black slavery, oppression, and African colonization was the result of God's curse on people with black skin or of African descent through Cain^{[citation needed]} or through the curse of Ham, and some churches practiced racial segregation as late as the 1990s, including Pentecostalism. Today, however, official acceptance and practice of the doctrine among Protestant organizations is limited almost exclusively to churches connected to white supremacy, such as the Aryan World Church and the New Christian Crusade Church. Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Pentecostal... Ham (Hebrew: , Standard  Tiberian  ; Arabic: , IPA: , hot), according to the Genealogies of Genesis, was a son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Relation to other religions Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Athanasius · Augustine · Constantine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas Calvin · Luther · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Pentecostal...

Mormonism

See also: Blacks and Mormonism

In Mormonism, the racial interpretation of the curse of Cain has taken a circuitous route. Statements concerning the curse of Cain are unclear in Latter Day Saint scripture, and though the interpretation had, at one time, found general support within some Latter Day Saint denominations, all major denominations of Mormonism now officially reject it. However, the doctrine is an important element of Mormon fundamentalism, which constitutes a very small branch of the faith. From 1830-1833, the Latter Day Saint movement had no policy whatever regarding race. ... For more general information about religious denominations that follow the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... A Latter Day Saint is an adherent of the Latter Day Saint movement, a group of denominations tracing their heritage to the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Teens From Polygamous Families protested on August 19, 2006 In Salt Lake City Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, usually during the administration of Brigham Young as president of The...

The Latter Day Saint movement was founded during the height of white Protestant acceptance of the curse of Cain doctrine in America, as well as the even more popular curse of Ham doctrine, which was even held by many abolitionists of the time. While Joseph Smith, Jr. indicated his belief in the curse of Ham theory in a parenthetical reference as early as 1831 (Manuscript History 19 June 1831), the only early reference to the curse or mark of Cain was in his translation of the Bible, which included the following statement: The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him. ... This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... Joseph Smith redirects here. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Leopold I 1831 (MDCCCXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, also called the Inspired Version of the Bible or the JST, is a version of the Bible dictated by Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

"And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them".^[14]

Nevertheless, according to other parts of Smith's translation, the descendants of Cain were destroyed in the deluge.^{[citation needed]} This has led some to understand that the black people referred to by Smith were not the same as modern African peoples. This article is about great floods. ...

Despite Smith's idea that the descendants of Cain did not "mix" with the descendants of Adam, one of Smith's associates later argued that Cain's descendants did indeed survive the flood via the wife of Ham, son of Noah. On February 6, 1835, Smith's associate William Wines Phelps wrote a letter theorizing that the curse of Cain might have survived the deluge by passing through the wife of Ham, son of Noah, who according to Phelps must have been a descendant of Cain. (Messenger and Advocate 1:82) In effect, Phelps was attempting to provide a rational link between the curse of Cain and the curse of Ham. There is no clear indication that Smith agreed with Phelps on this idea; in 1842, however, he did write parenthetically in his notes the following: Ham (חָם, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew , , Geez Kam), according to the Genealogies of Genesis, was a son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. ... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... William Wines Phelps (also W.W. Phelps, and William W. Phelps) (February 17, 1792–March 7, 1872) was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Ham (חָם, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew , , Geez Kam), according to the Genealogies of Genesis, was a son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

"In the evening debated with John C. Bennett and others to show that the Indians have greater cause to complain of the treatment of the whites, than the negroes or sons of Cain".^[15]

Engraving of John C. Bennett in a Napoleon-like pose as General of the Nauvoo Legion. ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Main article: Blacks and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the largest of several organizations claiming succession from Smith's church. Brigham Young, the church's president, clearly believed that people of African ancestry were under the curse of Cain. In 1852, he reportedly stated: From the end of the nineteenth century until 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not allow black men to be ordained to the priesthood or to enter its temples to perform ceremonies such as the Endowment or sealing that the church believes are necessary for... Joseph Smith redirects here. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Brigham Young (disambiguation). ... In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

"[A]ny man having one drop of the seed of [Cain] ... in him cannot hold the priesthood and if no other Prophet ever spake it before I will say it now in the name of Jesus Christ...."^[16]

Throughout his ministry, Young maintained his view that black skin was part of the curse of Cain, and that black people were still under that curse. On February 5, 1852, Young stated: is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

"What is that mark? you will see it on the countenance of every African you ever did see upon the face of the earth, or ever will see.... I tell you, this people that are commonly called negroes are the children of old Cain".^[17]

On October 9, 1859, he again addressed the curse of Cain, as well as an additional curse of slavery, known as the curse of Ham, stating: is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

"Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race—that they should be the 'servant of servants;' and they will be, until that curse is removed; and the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree".^[18]

Similar doctrines were taught by Young's successors as President of the Church, such as John Taylor, who held the same belief as Phelps that Cain's descendants survived the flood via the wife of Ham. In 1881, Taylor stated: In the Latter Day Saint movement, the President of the Church is generally considered to be the highest office of the church. ... John Taylor (November 1, 1808 – July 25, 1887) was the third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1880 to 1887. ... William Wines Phelps (also W.W. Phelps, and William W. Phelps) (February 17, 1792–March 7, 1872) was an important early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... Ham (חָם, Standard Hebrew , Tiberian Hebrew , , Geez Kam), according to the Genealogies of Genesis, was a son of Noah and the father of Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan. ...

"And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham’s wife, as he had married of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God".^[19]

Throughout the years, various church leaders and theologians spoke on the curse of Cain doctrine. Some of the ideas propounded in these sermons and writings included the following:

1. That Cain would not be allowed to enter God's presence, nor would he enjoy the companionship of any member of the Godhead
2. That Cain would be called Perdition and not be resurrected to a degree of glory; He would lose any chance of exaltation
3. That the earth would not "yield unto Cain her strength," (or in other words, he would be agriculturally cursed)
4. That a mark would be placed upon Cain so that others would not try to kill him
5. That this mark was "Black skin"
6. That Cain would have to live as "a vagabond" on the earth and that he would not taste of death
7. That any mixing of Cain's seed with any others (such as in interracial marriage), would pass the effects of the curse upon their descendants.
8. The denial of the priesthood and temple ordinances to Ham and his descendants (a few church leaders taught that Ham's wife was a descendant of Cain), those being of Black African descent (except on rare occasions), until after Abel's descendants had a chance to receive the gospel and hold the priesthood. No blessing would be denied to these people after the resurrection, but it would be denied to them in this life.
9. In 1881, church president John Taylor said "And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 22 page 304).

In 1954, church leader David O. McKay taught "There is not now, and there never has been a doctrine in this church that the negroes are under a divine curse. There is no doctrine in the church of any kind pertaining to the negro. ‘We believe’ that we have a scriptural precedent for withholding the priesthood from the negro. It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice someday will be changed. And that’s all there is to it."^[20] Medieval illustration of the Mouth of Hell Hell is, according to many religious beliefs about the afterlife, a place of torment, of great weeping and gnashing of teeth. ... In stories common to the Abrahamic religions, Cain or Káyin (קַיִן / קָיִן spear Standard Hebrew Qáyin, Tiberian Hebrew Qáyin / Qāyin; Arabic قايين QāyÄ«n in the Arabic Bible; قابيل QābÄ«l in Islam) is the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the first man born in creation... For other persons named John Taylor, see John Taylor (disambiguation). ... For other persons of the same name, see David McKay. ...

Racial restriction policy reversed

In 1978, the church announced a revelation from God officially renouncing its policy of excluding blacks from the priesthood. Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

Full repudiation requested

Despite urging from a number of black Mormons, there has never been an official and explicit church repudiation of the doctrine, or an admission that it was a mistake. In 1998, there was a report in the Los Angeles Times that the church leadership was considering an official repudiation of the curse of Cain and curse of Ham doctrines, to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1978 revelation. (Larry B. Stammer, "Mormons May Disavow Old View on Blacks", L.A. Times, May 18, 1998, p. A1). This, however, was quickly denied by the LDS spokesman Don LeFevre. (ABC News report, May 18, 1998). The Times later suggested that the publicity generated by its article may have caused the church to put an official disavowal on hold.^[21] Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... This just IN !!!:paris hiltons new dog. ... The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie stated: The current Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS Church. ... Bruce R. McConkie Bruce Redd McConkie (July 29, 1915–April 19, 1985) was an influential theologian and apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ...

"There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren that we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" All I can say is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or George Q. Cannon or whoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world. It doesn't make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject. As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them. We now do what meridian Israel did when the Lord said the gospel should go to the Gentiles. We forget all the statements that limited the gospel to the house of Israel, and we start going to the Gentiles".^[22]

Modern opinion on racial interpretations

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a Christian backlash arose against use of the curse of Cain doctrine in racial politics, with the primary Christian denominations flatly rejecting it. Most Christians also point to Biblical references which refute the doctrine, including a reference in the Book of Numbers: The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew ba-midbar במדבר, i. ...

"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous".^[23]

Other Christian arguments include the following:

1. That the passage in Genesis relating to Cain makes no mention of the effects on his descendants.
2. That the effect of parts of the curse on the land could have only applied to Cain - and not blacks - who historically, were unaffected (like all other surviving people) in their ability to cultivate land. If this interpretation held true, then 19th Century Americans would not have enslaved them to do agricultural work in the United States.
3. That Moses' wife Tzipporah, Job, Queen of Sheba, Ebed-Melech, Tirharkah, and the Ethiopian Treasurer of Queen Candace, Hagar, Egyptians, and other black people in the Bible were not mentioned as being partakers of the curse. Had the curse affected Black people, at least one instance of it would have been mentioned in the Bible in that context to these people.
4. That Christianity was founded 2000 years ago, and early documents do not make any references to blacks being cursed, and no manuscripts have been found in the middle east that were written by Christian leaders of the period which support the exclusion or prejudice against Blacks, Ethiopians (Greek word for Black) or Kushites (Hebrew word for Black).
5. That the racist interpretations of scripture did not exist before European colonization. These interpretations were most likely introduced by adherents of ethnocentric ideologies that were codified into the Western mindset. These ideologies adversely influenced the Protestant reformation and enlightenment periods.
6. That objectively interpreting the idea of a Cain's mark to mean a change of skin color would require the existence of Biblical passages to equate the two, however, in the Book of Jeremiah 13:23, there is a distinction made between skin color and marks on the skin, which all but refutes the idea that Cain's mark was Black skin: ("Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?").
7. That one effect of the curse was for Cain to struggle agriculturally, to be "driven" from the face of the Lord and that Cain would not settle in any specific locale. For Canaan's curse it was to serve the people of Shem's line. Making the curse a racially-based issue ignored the primary issues of the curse and the racial interpretation of the curse was used to justify black servitude to whites. The doctrine became part of the institution of slavery and it also influenced the reasoning of many racist white Christian institutions in the West.

The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah (יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirməyāhū in Hebrew), is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaisms Tanakh, and later became a part of Christianitys Old Testament. ...

Modern Baptist exegesis

Some Baptist denominations deny that Cain was cursed by God, but rather Cain brought the cursing on himself. "God does not say, 'Now I curse you.' He simply states the truth, 'Now you are cursed'".[2] In this way, Cain's aggression was the curse, and the outcome was the death of Abel. Because of continued problems with anger and aggression, the curse was handed down to Cain's posterity and even to Lamech who killed in a manner similar to Cain. Lamech (in Hebrew לֶמֶך Lemmech) is the name of two men appearing in the genealogies of Adam in the book of Genesis. ...

In the same way, the teaching goes that Born Again believers are often cursed because of some of their struggles or sins, and should work to overcome them, or they will be passed on to their children or descendants. If they do so, their curses will not be promulgated to their posterity. Born again is a term used originally and mainly in Christianity, where it is associated with salvation, conversion and spiritual rebirth. ... This page is about sin in the context of religion. ...

In other literature

• The characters, Grendel and Grendel's mother are identified as descendants of Cain (and therefore bearing the "mark of Cain") in the Old English heroic epic poem composed in the later Early Middle Ages (in the 8th, 9th or 10th century), Beowulf.
• In the Red Dwarf novels, the H symbol on holograms is revealed to be a way of distinguishing between the deceased (holograms) and the living. It is also shown that so-called "dirty deadies" are discriminated against by the living due to the prohibitive costs meaning only the richest can afford to be simulated. Rimmer refers to the H as the stigma "Not the mark of Cain, the murderer, but of Abel, the slain." Also, the immortality of Rimmer, as well as Kryten, and the wandering of the ship can draw some parallels to Cain's wandering. Also, in Rimmerworld he founds an empire mirroring Cain's city.
• Hermann Hesse makes great use of the Mark of Cain as a motif in his novel Demian, where it symbolizes a person seeking his true self.
• The Mark of Cain is a British television film broadcast in 2007.
• The murderer in Agatha Christie's novel And Then There Were None, says that the bullet would leave in one of the victim's forehead a red mark, similar to the mark of Cain.
• In John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden, Charles and Adam are representative of Cain and Abel as are Adam's sons Caleb and Aron. Charles' scar on his forehead is allegorical of the "mark of Cain" and Adam and Charles' father Cyrus prefers Adam's gift over Charles' which leads to Charles beating Adam up although not murdering him as Cain does to Abel in the Bible. In the next generation, Caleb is horrible to his brother Aron, which leads to Aron enlisting himself in the army and ultimately to his death in World War One.
• Neil Gaiman's Sandman includes the character Cain directly as well as Abel (who Cain repeatedly kills and who is in turn repeatedly resurrected) as inhabitants of the dream lord's realm. Cain is sent as a messenger to hell in Season of Mists as Lucifer cannot kill him due to the mark, which is here a small black circle on his forehead. Apart from this it has no direct effect on Cain.
• In an ironic twist, Daniel Quinn's book Ishmael identifies the story of the farmer Cain killing the herder Abel as an allegory for the Agricultural Revolution and the murderer Cain as symbolic of the rapacious destruction of "primitive" peoples by Western civilization. The "mark of Cain" therefore becomes white skin.

Grendel is one of three antagonists, along with Grendels mother and the dragon, in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (c. ... The first page of Beowulf Grendels mother (Old English: Grendles modor) is one of three antagonists (along with Grendel and the dragon) in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (c. ... In stories common to the Abrahamic religions, Cain or Káyin (קַיִן / קָיִן spear Standard Hebrew Qáyin, Tiberian Hebrew Qáyin / Qāyin; Arabic قايين Qāyīn in the Arabic Bible; قابيل Qābīl in Islam) is the eldest son of Adam and Eve, and the first man born in creation... Old English redirects here. ... In mathematics, see epic morphism. ... Justinians wife Theodora and her retinue, in a 6th century mosaic from the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. ... This article is about the epic poem. ... This article is about the British sitcom. ... Hermann Hesse (pronounced ) (2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. ... Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclairs Youth is a Bildungsroman by Hermann Hesse, first published in 1919, but a prologue was added in 1960. ... The Mark of Cain is a British television film first broadcast in 2007 that follows three young men as they experience the extremity of war for the first time, and the permanent effects of what they have seen and done as they return from their tour of duty. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... For the video game, see Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None. ... The Sandman is a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman. ... Season of Mists (1992) is the fourth collection of issues in the DC Comics series, The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Kelley Jones, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III, Matt Wagner, Dick Giordano, George Pratt and P. Craig Russell, coloured by Steve Oliff and Danny Vozzo, and lettered by... For other uses, see Daniel Quinn (disambiguation). ... Ishmael is a novel by Daniel Quinn. ... In the Earths history there have been a number of agricultural revolutions. ...

In popular culture

• In White Wolf's role-playing game series Vampire: the Masquerade, the curse of Cain is that of vampirism. Here, Cain is spelled "Caine" and becomes the father of all vampires after being cursed by God.
• The 1997 single "Barrel of a Gun" by popular English Electronic band Depeche Mode references 'the mark of cain' in its second verse in relation to 'a beating in my brain', analogous to beating of Abel in the biblical story.
• In the Motörhead song "Sacrifice," the Mark of Cain is mentioned as 'Crawling with the mark of Cain'.
• In episode 17 of HBO's series Big Love, fundamentalist Mormon Rhonda views a poster of Jimi Hendrix in Jordan's apartment and remarks that he bears 'the mark of Cain'.
• Two songs by the progressive rock group Kansas, "Mysteries and Mayhem" and "The Pinnacle," reference the Mark of Cain within their lyrics.
• In the Fifth installment of Stephen King's Dark Tower Series, Wolves of the Calla, a priest named Callahan has the Mark of Cain cut into his forehead.
• German electro-industrial band [:SITD:] released a song titled "Brand of Cain" on their album Coded Message:12.
• In the upcoming expansion of the game Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars, Kane's Wrath, a Sub-faction of the Brotherhood of Nod is called 'The Marked of Kane'
• In the Season Two episode of House M.D. entitled "House vs. God", House mentions to Wilson when convinced that a person has Herpes that "You can't argue with the Mark of Cain".
• Therion band have on Crowning Of Atlantis album a track called "Mark of Cain".

The logo of White Wolf Publishing, one of White Wolf, Inc. ... Vampire: The Masquerade (Revised Edition) cover. ... Vampirism is a term used differently in popular culture and in zoology. ... Caine is a fictional character, the father of all vampires in White Wolf Game Studios role-playing games set in the World of Darkness. ... Depeche Mode (pronounced ) are an electronic music band formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex, England. ... This article is about the band. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Big Love (disambiguation). ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... For other uses, see Kansas (disambiguation). ... For other persons named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... The Dark Tower can refer to one of several things: The Dark Tower (series) — a series of novels by Stephen King. ... Wolves of the Calla is the fifth book in Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series. ... Electronic body music (EBM) is a musical genre combining elements of industrial music and electronic dance music. ... [:SITD:] is a German Industrial/Electro band founded in 1996 by Carsen Jacket and Thorsten Lau as Shadows in the Dark. ... Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy series of computer games released by the game developer Westwood Studios, now a part of Electronic Arts. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... House, M.D. (commonly promoted as just House) is an American television series aired by the Fox Broadcasting Company. ... House vs. ...

See also

• Badge of shame

Yellow badge Jews in Nazi Germany were required to wear as a badge of shame. ...

Footnotes

Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... Wilford Woodruff (March 1, 1807 – September 2, 1898) was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1889 until his death. ...

References

• Regina M. Schwartz (1997). The Curse of Cain: The Violent Legacy of Monotheism. Univ. of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-74199-0. 
• David M. Goldenberg (2003). The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Jews, Christians, and Muslims from the Ancient to the Modern World). Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 0-691-11465-X. , Chapter 13: "The Curse of Cain".
• The Curse of Cain: The Untold Story of John Wilkes Booth (ISBN 1-58006-021-8)
• Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 Through the Stono Rebellion, by Peter H. Wood
• White Attitudes toward Black People (Ann Arbor, Michigan: Institute for Social Research, 1971), by Angus Campbell
• Lester E. Bush, Jr. and Armand L. Mauss, eds. (1984). Neither White Nor Black: Mormon Scholars Confront the Race Issue in a Universal Church. Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-22-2.  [3]
• "Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The changing place of Black people within Mormonism," Greenwood Press, (1981), by Newell Bringhurst

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry on Cain
• Review of the book "Curse of Cain"
• Baptist sermon on the curse of Cain
• Sermon on separate heavens and race relations in Mississippi
• Encarta article that discusses race and religion in 1969
• Biblical racism
• Reparations "demanded" by some Blacks of churches for racist teachings
• Church of England issues dealing with race
• Religion and race in Indianapolis
• History of LDS Church Policy on Blacks and Priesthood Ordination
• A Work in Progress: The Latter-day Saint Struggle with Blacks and the Priesthood
• ReligiousTolerance.org discussion of Mormon views on Blacks and slavery
• Discussion of LDS views on blacks by a black Mormon
• Discussion of cultural myths about the LDS Church by a Black Mormon
• A critical look at Mormon sermons on Blacks
• A response to critical approaches to Blacks and Mormonsim
• Article on Blacks in the Bible
• Discussion of Anti-slavery views of Missouri Mormons in Encarta
• More about the expulsion from Missouri and Anti-slavery views of Mormons in Missouri
• More about Mormons anti-slavery beliefs
• A review of The Curse of Ham-Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam