Article on How to beat your wife - Saudi style

**herbiedoobie** · 11-04-2007, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

I agree completely. The christian church may never have advocated the beating of women, but it did promote that wifes should be submissive to their husbands. Now, to me, it seems like that could be interpreted as allowing beatings, or just that women are "inferior" in stature to men. The mentality is similar, if not the same, and it's affects can be the same.

That's because you don't read the bible, and neither do the anti-Christian bigots that say that "wives are supposed to be submissive". Do yourself a favor and read the passages yourself.

In no way do those passages translate to "women are inferior to men". They DO explain how men and women should be co-dependent. AND they are in-line with biological efficiency.

In fact, prior to the Christian Church coming to power, women were generally assumed to be property. The idea of "women's rights" is generally considered to be a Christian concept.

(There are a few examples of women holding power in some non-Christian societies, such as the pre-Christian Vikings, but they are definitely a historical aberration.)

**Cyclonepride** · 11-04-2007, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

I agree completely. The christian church may never have advocated the beating of women, but it did promote that wifes should be submissive to their husbands. Now, to me, it seems like that could be interpreted as allowing beatings, or just that women are "inferior" in stature to men. The mentality is similar, if not the same, and it's affects can be the same.

I am guessing you are referring to the "obey" part of traditional wedding vows. I heard a pastor describe the real meaning of this quite eloquently. This isn't it, but it's a similar thought to what he said:

No matter the exact words, Christians do best when they know, understand, and accept the Scriptural teaching on marriage. In premarital or marriage counseling, I follow God’s Word, teaching that “the husband is the head of the wife [and family] even as ****** is the head of the church (Ephesians 5:23)” — not as tyrant, but as one who wants what is best for his wife and children. The wife’s response is still to be “obedient,” if obedience is properly understood. The root of “obey” in both New Testament Greek and in the Latin of the early Western Christian Church comes from words meaning “listen.” The somewhat old-fashioned word “harken” (as in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”) comes closer to the intent of Scripture-based obedience than does the concept of slavishly following a master’s every whim.

Harkening means listening intently and with purpose. ****** calls His Church to hang on His every word because all He says and does is good for His bride. This ideal is the model for the wife, also — especially since her husband is charged with loving his wife “as ****** loved the church and gave himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25)” The Church submits to her Lord because Jesus’ will is perfect for her. Through the apostle, ****** calls individual wives to this same submission to their own husbands.

Likewise, the Christian husband pledges self-sacrificing love. This is the standard that Jesus models for the man, whose love should be displayed by putting his wife’s needs above his own desires. He says that he will do what is best for his bride, even if it brings pain upon himself. In this, the Christian groom stands with ******, who loved His bride the Church and gave up His life for her.

All Christians are charged with “submitting to one another out of reverence for ******. (Ephesians 5:21)” Christian wives are then especially called to submit to their husbands. Similarly, Jesus’ command to His disciples to “love one another (John 15:12)” extends to all believers, as Paul wrote that we should “through love serve one another. (Galatians 5:13)” Yet in marriage, the husband receives a special imperative to selflessly and sacrificially love his wife.

Therefore, whether or not “obey” appears in the vows, a devout Christian wife desires to do everything according to her husband’s will. In this, she models the Church’s submission to her Bridegroom. Meanwhile, even as he heads the household, the believing husband still places all of his wife’s needs ahead of his own and gives her no cause to rebel against his decisions, whether or not she has promised to obey him, because his love for her is absolute.