Now Playing: There is a need for resurrection.
Topic: God and Politics
Bill Berkowitz at Talk to Action writes this month about [excerpt below]
"Dr. James Dobson and Dr. John MacArthur, two influential evangelical family counselors, 'blame' battered women for their plight, says Christian evangelical author Jocelyn Andersen.
Writing based on her own experience, Andersen maintains that for far too long too many evangelical pastors have tried to sweep the problem under the rug. According to Andersen, the problem of physical, as well as emotional and spiritual abuse, is being exacerbated by the outdated teachings of several high-profile conservative Christian pastors.
In the introduction to her new book "Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence" (One Way Cafe Press, 2007), Andersen points out that "The practice of hiding, ignoring, and even perpetuating the emotional and physical abuse of women is ... rampant within evangelical Christian fellowships and as slow as our legal systems have been in dealing with violence against women by their husbands, the church has been even slower."
Actually the single most powerful aspect of most domestic violence that occurs within families of active and practicing Christians is consciously or sub-consciously driven by literalist fundamentalism that in and of itself worship's patriarchy.
Patriarchy is the false notion that God has mandated a patriarchal system of family governance based on Himself as the commanding head of a man's life and the man as head of his wife and children - not unlike a first sergeant who takes orders from the commanding officer.
This is kindergarten religion in one of its ugliest lights but seriously practiced and preached by shallow-water pulpit-pounders who mistakenly counsel families that God trusts the man to govern women and children - and that it's all Biblicly ordained.
Right.
"Okay Brother Fumbles, you're having trouble with an uppity woman? Let's see what God's Manual for Masculinity commands?"
1 Timothy 2:12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
"Now it's not difficult to do that Brother. All you have to do is criticize the hell literally right out out of them. Speak to them with your patriarchal authority and let them know that God is on your side; that uppity women are spiritual slackers and that you will righteously and literally guilt the hell out of them for their own good. The Devil will have to depart from them when faced with God's male muscle.
But, you ask, if you enforce your patriarchal authority with physical strength she might tattle to someone? Well Brother, she has got to remember that it's OK with God that you pound it in to her:"
1 Corinthians 14:35
If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
He also stands condemned before God; is a fool and needs serious repentance and re-education into what scripture is all about.
He has no claim to justification before any Almighty in any context.
