Mary Conway's counter-argument: biblical exceptions to primogeniture (Jacob, Esau, Joseph, David, Ephraim, Manasseh) show the Bible doesn't care about birth order -- Mike's rebuttal: exceptions prove the rule.

Mary Conway (ch. 1, 'Discovering Biblical Equality') argues that numerous biblical examples of younger children given preference (Joseph, Jacob, David, Gideon, Ephraim/Manasseh) undermine primogeniture as an interpretive principle. Mike responds that these exceptions are notable precisely BECAUSE primogeniture is assumed as the background rule. They are 'exceptions that prove the rule.' Without a statement of exception, primogeniture is the default.