(Works every time it's tried.)
Posted on 08/15/2011 8:41:01 AM PDT by TheWriterTX
Who are these submissive women?
By Linda Prussen-Razzano
web posted August 15, 2011
During the recent Republican Presidential debates in Ames, Iowa, a question of faith arose that has frequently been misused, misrepresented, and continually misinterpreted by the main stream media: that of women who willingly submit to the authority of their husbands. Women who advocate a strong Christian faith are often portrayed as weak, timid, or somehow suffering under the heel of an oppressive husband while simultaneously being chained to hot stove with wailing children hanging off their hips. The general resentment over this perpetual gross mischaracterization of a true Christian marriage reached a fever pitch when columnist Byron York asked Congressman Michelle Bachmann if, as President, she would submit to the authority of her husband, prompting the audience to react with strong boos and negative outcries.
Feminists and their cohorts in the media have latched onto this passage as proof of the patriarchal subjugation of women inherent in Christianity, as concrete "evidence" that Christianity is a misogynistic and oppressive religious regime. What they fail to address, and where they willfully miss the point entirely, is the second portion of this passage that puts a much larger burden on husbands.
"Giving thanks always for all things to God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (Ephesians 5, v. 20-33, American KJV)."
Quite simply, women are to be respectful of their husband and to look to him for guidance, to give them final decision-making ability in the household. Men, on the other hand, are instructed not just to be respectful, but to love, nourish, cherish, protect, sanctify, and, if necessary, give their lives for their wives. In fact, spouses are to submit themselves to one another, while keeping God in the center of their marriage. There are obligations on both sides if the marriage is to be sound.
Feminists and their media lackeys who don't have a true Christian marriage will probably never understand what it's like to be in one; that it is, in fact, a tremendous and sustaining gift that brings peace and happiness. Contrary to their assertions, and the media's false stereotype of the meek woman cringing in her husband's shadow, women in a true Christian marriage are empowered and confident. They respect themselves and trust their own judgment enough not to second-guess their choice of husbands, and their husbands have proven themselves to be loving and honorable men.
I am proud to submit to the authority of my husband. I trusted my judgment in picking a man who was strong, wise, loving, loyal, hardworking, honorable, God-fearing, and possessed a wicked sense of humor. After 18 amazing years of marriage, he still shows me he loves me every day, tries to please me every day, and puts me and our children first every day. He's not a "player" pretending to be the man of the house; he is the man of the house. In those 18 years, I can count on one hand the number of times my husband said no - that I didn't get exactly what I wanted, or do exactly what I wanted, just by mentioning that I wanted it.
Oppressed? That's a laugh!
It amazes and amuses me that so many unreligious nitwits get their knickers in a knot over Bachmann’s comments, and over Perry’s prayers at Revival.
Yet they don’t concern themselves with Obama’s Ramadan dinner, or his black liberation theology as it destroys the moral and social fabric of our nation.
The idiot feminists hate this word. Submitting to the authority of your husband, to me, means I respect his advice, his hard work, his determination to keep us safe and happy. It does not mean I bow down and allow him to beat me. I am happy to have him lead our family, and he is man enough to delegate a lot of that authority to me.
that whole neck turning the head thing!
Exactly - it’s like they are 3 year olds whining that if they can’t have something, no one can!
feminists hate God......so anything vaguely Biblical just gets them into a tizzy. so often they misunderstand the meaning of a word used by Christians.
Well said. It took me years to understand what ‘submissive’ meant. Although we did not have a Christian marriage until the past few years, we instinctively knew that we each had roles and that the marriage was bigger then the both of us. We’ll have 31 years in December.
I think what a lot of people don’t get is - “roles” are more about ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. Men and women are different. And thank God for that!!! Women need love, men need respect. That’s how we’re wired. It’s really amazing how God made it work. Women are to respect the men - something that’s not real natural to our natures. Men are to love their wives - something not natural to theirs. Yet, when practiced, it works in great harmony.
We got to spend some time with our son-in-law this weekend and he was talking about how our daughter recognizes him as the head of the household and that it is both honoring and a burden at the same time. He takes being a husband very seriously. We are so pleased that they understand the basics of marriage. We think they’ll do fine......now if they’ll just give us GRANDKIDS!!! (no pressure, kids)
It's the Mainsteam Media and the Progressives that Hate God and any mention of His authority or His Word. This is why Adultery is covering our land with it's wet musty blanket of filth - pushing Gay marriage as the example for our country. It is disgusting.
True marriage is where and Man and a Woman submit to one another out of Love - with His Love being the example. It is not just about sex, it is about Unity and respecting and relying on the roles He has WISELY given us.
Right now, the Left and the Media are going 180 degrees away from this as fast as they can. Obama said that he would not defend Marriage (the Defense of Marriage Act) and is pushing for Gay Marriage in other countries. He is doing it covertly here.
This is why the Mainstream Media sneers at Christian Marriage and spews venom against Christians (using terms like "Right Wing Fanatics"). The Truth is that they are Left Wing Fanatics and are undermining our Nation and our Families.
I always tell my husband I don't have to put him first before myself because we are one - anything I do for him I am spiritually doing for myself as well.
Congrats on your long marriage - we are soon to celebrate #27 ourselves!
Submission means different things to different people. Deferring to the other’s expertise is common sense to me and it works both ways. I think Bachmann hit the nail on the head when she said she interpreted it as a respect for each other. In our marriage, we depend on each other to handle certain roles. Sometimes they get switched around but we are always a team.
If you think all Christian wives are submissive because they are pleasant, you obviously haven’t spent any time in a Southern Baptist home. Letting your husband be the driver on family outings doesn’t at ALL represent who wears the pants in those families.
Well said - makes too much sense for the national media to understand.
That’s how we are both getting to our 27th year next month!
I think leftists couldn’t care less what it really means. It’s about hating Christianity and hating the right. It’s just a means to an end to them. York was just doing his part to help bring down a strong conservative politician.
Well said, again. Years ago, I took a human sexuality class. It was required for the degree I was working on I think it was also an excuse to show porn on college campus - but that is a whole ‘nother discussion.
The instructor hated it that I said we had a happy marriage. She said in class on numerous occasions that anyone who said they were happy in marriage were liars. I liked the instructor and spent some time talking to her. She’d been married 3 times, was a single mom, very unhappy woman. She also gave me my only B that semester. I think it was because I had a happy marriage. Scores on everything was high.
Stan and I are very happily married. I’m a songwriter and for our anniversary, I wrote a song called “We’re Not Lucky, We’re Blessed”. One of theses days, I’ll get it finished and post it. We have a studio in our home, so it gives me an opportunity to practice my perfectionism. ;-)
“What about women who aren’t blessed with such wonderful husbands? Are they released from the command to submit?”
In a biblical marriage, submission is an acknowledgement that the husband is the head of the household. It does not mean that a woman has to do things that are ungodly or criminal. It means that she defers to his authority in matters that affect her household. The problem you bring up has more to do with marrying an unbeliever, being unequally yoked. Husbands are commanded to love their wives like themselves as Christ loves His church. That means a husband is willing to give his life for his wife if he is a Christian. Men who boss their wives around and seek to degrade her are not Christian men. Women should be very diligent in selecting a husband, a bossy, jealous man does not love you more, he simply wants to control you. This has nothing whatsoever to do with biblical submission.
(Works every time it's tried.)
Good is evil and evil is good.
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