The oldest profession

I recently came across a statement on social media that disputed an apparent thought process that prostitution is the oldest profession. I have no idea where the original comment came from or how deeply held that belief is. 

All I know is that the person disputing it said, "I cannot stand the fallacy, and the blatant sexist belief of men in general, many of whom should know better, that the oldest profession in human history is prostitution. What they are saying by this is that women from the beginning of history, were either so loose and wicked, or that men were so controlling and evil, that women either freely offered their bodies to men for payment, even before agriculture and farming, or men enslaved women from the beginning and forced them into prostitution. In my opinion, it's not only fallacious, but downright degrading to label women that way. If, however, we read and believe the Bible, we will find that the oldest profession was actually gardening.For God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to tend and look after it. However, when they disobeyed God, they realised they were naked, and thus they stitched fig leaves together to make coverings for themselves. Thus, the second profession was tailoring. And because they disobeyed God, He kicked them out of that beautiful and unique Garden. Thus the third profession came into existence, farming. Therefore, the long-held view that the oldest profession in human history is prostitution, is absolutely false. For gardening was clearly the first, tailoring (albeit very primitive) the second, while farming was the third. And so, please don't allow this degrading fallacy to spread any longer. Men don't need any encouragement or justification for exploiting women and girls. For such a preposterous assertion does that very thing"

My first thoughts as I was reading that were that there is a third option. Could it be that the women entering into prostitution had men that failed at their God given role of provision and protection? 

I used to really enjoy reading about and learning of the 1800s. It fascinated me. I still hold a fondness for that era. It's nearly impossible to read much about that time without coming across pictures and stories of prostitution. 'Saloon girls' were common back then. They can be seen even in family shows depicting that time. Go to any historic photo studio and you're likely to see saloon girl outfits offered as one of the costumes.

I took just such a picture when I was 14 years old. We were in a 'ghost town' and part of the tourist offerings was a photo studio complete with 1800s outfits. I happily chose the saloon girl outfit because I liked the look of it. Call me sheltered or naive but I had no idea what I was posing as. I really didn't. 

That picture is long gone but the memory of the day still lingers. As does the memory of how that photo was showed off to relatives and friends far and wide. 

I'd like to say it was the last time I posed as a saloon girl but it wasn't. I did it again a few years later in another tourist spot. This time complete with a 'gun' in my hands and my sister at my side. It was a fun time. A great memory. It was also another case of ignorance on my part. By then I may have known what a saloon girl was but I can't even say that for certain. It seems to me that I saw it just as innocent fun. 

Regardless, saloon girls and prostitution have been a part of the world since the bible days. Who knows how the first one came to be or who she was? 

I will admit to being less familiar with the Old Testament than I am with the New Testament but I don't believe Scripture tells us who the first prostitute was or why she (he?) became a prostitute. 

I must, however, throw out there that no small number of girls and women fell into prostitution due to the failure of the men that should have been caring for them. How many women became prostitutes because 'Pa' or older brother did not wish to provide for them once they reached a certain age? How many girls or young women were sold into prostitution by the men, or women, that should be protecting and caring for them? 

I'm not blaming prostitution on men, just throwing out there that there is at least one more option to how women fall into prostitution. 

From there, and the reason I'm writing this, is to dispute the whole idea that gardening and tailoring are the first professions. By definition a profession is a paid occupation.Therefore gardening in the Garden of Eden and 'tailoring' by making clothing for oneself cannot be considered occupations since no form of payment changed hands. 

Prostitution is only prostitution if payment is given for services rendered. The same acts performed without any form of payment changing hands is not prostitution. There may be many names for them but prostitution is not one of them. 

How then does this person accredit sewing for ones self and tending your own garden to the status of a profession? 

I do not know who came up with the idea that prostitution is the oldest profession, nor do I know if they are accurate. It really doesn't matter. Prostitution is a sinful profession that becomes a part of someone's life through many different ways. I don't even have any desire to confront or discuss that particular issue. 

It's the issue of the person that made the statement I quoted above that I wanted to comment on. And I did long to comment on that statement. I wanted to question this person that I would say is most likely regenerate on how they can call working for oneself with no form of payment a profession. I refrained from doing so however. 

Instead I came over here and wrote out my thoughts. 

The Lord personally assigned Adam and Eve to the task of tending the Garden of Eden. He placed them in paradise and basically waved his hands about, telling them, 'here, this is all yours' and left them to tend to it. Their own sin made them feel the need for clothing so they proceeded to cover themselves the best way they knew how. 

There was no profession involved. They didn't even have a need for payment. How can one then say those are the oldest professions on earth? They may be the oldest skills but I can't see how they can be labeled as a profession. Not based off those two examples anyway.

I don't even know what the oldest profession in Scripture is. Maybe it is prostitution, I don't know. What I do know is that saying Adam and Eve were gardeners by profession, or tailors, is not a good way to dispute an arguement that is saying prostitution is the oldest profession, considering prostitution by definition means payment is exchanged for services rendered and gardening and sewing for ones self or ones family does not a profession make.