What do you think of the Baptist scholar who links spouse abuse to wives' refusal to submit to their husbands?

Question

Here's the article about it: "Southern Baptist Scholar Links Spouse Abuse to Wives' Refusal to Submit to Their Husbands": http://ethicsdaily.com/article_detail.cfm?AID=10675

Not only was he upset that women were not submitting to their husbands, but Ware "cited gender roles as one example of churches compromising and reforming doctrines to accommodate to culture." Ware also said "it really has been happening for about the past 30 years, ever since the force of the feminist movement was felt in our churches,"

Why is equality so threatening to some of the evangelical Christians like Ware?

Answer 1

I'm not surprised. Unfortunately such attitudes exist in a number of relgions.

Answer 2

Change is always seen as a threat. I'm sure not ALL evangelical Christians feel this way, in fact, many probably don't. As for those that do, their privileged status as males in the community is clearly threatened by women, thus why they lash out. The argument is c**p, though. Not only does it ignore that women can be spousal abusers too (are the men not obeying...?), it unfairly blames victims for violence. People need to wake up. This isn't the early 20th century or before anymore. Women are equals in the community and in their personal relationships and should be treated as such. God supposedly created us all equally, so why should we be treated any differently?

Answer 3

He's just exposing his shortcomings.

Little men have a need to feel important. Home and with their spouse is the safest place to be the lord of.. Imagine Ware was working in a regular business. Would he really be able to work for a female? When he lost the job, he'd never blame himself.

Remember the bible says you can beat your wives, sleep with your slaves and tells you the size of the stick to use. For little men, that's a comfort.

Answer 4

I have not read the article, but back in the day women felt they had to have s*x when their husband wanted it. It didn't matter that the wife would rather not. Today if a woman tells her husband no, and he forces her, the law considers it rape and so do the courts. Ware wants this law changed, not in the courts but in the church.I am a Baptist and so is my husband. I do not agree with Ware and I hope that women Baptist or not will not tolerate what he is proposing. Women have long been objects where men have been concerned, the next thing Ware may want is for Baptist women to give up their right to vote!

Answer 5

Scholar?    These are the same people who believe its okay to beat your kids.   I read some of their other stuff- you have to have as many kids as you can and you must home school them.     It seemed they said women were only saved by giving birth.

Answer 6

He is an idiot..Besides men should submit to their wives...And in the marriages where the man submits there is happiness....and the marriage lasts.

Answer 7

It's not the first time I've seen comments like that. No matter how a spouse behaves, abuse is absolutely unacceptable, and the only recourse is to separate the victim and the abuser.

Answer 8

That's what is so beautiful about a free country.  I think it's great that there is a religion out there for people who enjoy being submissive and dominating.  Nobody is forcing them or you for that matter to believe or submit to this religion.  It's cultural and we are supposed to be open and accepting of all cultures... aren't we?   Isn't that what the progressives are all about.  Seems there only seems to be a problem when religion is involved.  If the subject was s*x there be protests in Washington to protect it.

Answer 9

I'm a Christian, and trust me, this guy's views are NOT mainstream. He's part of the lunatic fringe. He is basically saying that if a wife won't "submit," the man only has two choices: abuse her or become a pansy. What a psycho. He is justifying spousal abuse by blaming the victim.

BTW, the oft-quoted "wives, submit to your husbands" verse is immediately followed by something along the lines of "husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her." Not many of these wack-jobs will admit that the man must live sacrificially for his wife!

Answer 10

because he is still living in 2000 a.d. and the rest of the world is not and he picks this passage out of the bible beyond any others...what happened to husbands love your wives as christ did the church,,,,

i am no evangelical christian but he sure isnt living a life of love

Answer 11

Why he's off his rocker or his chickens forgot how to hatch their eggs; let alone lay them; he speaks utter nonsense and rubbish; all he is looking for his complete control. As we all know men who look for complete control are the ones who are the most fearful; it's a fact, and I would like to add the same goes for us women; any one who seeks to control is the most fearful of the group..

Answer 12

That southern baptist idiot needs a huge kick in the a--!  He has absolutly no idea what he is rambling on about!  What a jerk he is and he does not deserve to have a wife or kids or to be heard by his rants.

Answer 13

I am a Christian woman and a submissive wife. The thing about submission is that you cannot be forced to do it. It is a decision that the woman herself has to make. She does it out of love for her husband. Submission is not at all the equivalent of slavery, in fact it is the opposite. It is a loving willingness to see that your husband is getting what makes him happy. If your husband is happy with how you treat him(which should be like a king), then he will gladly come home to you after work instead of heading off to some bar to escape the constant nagging. NEVER expect your husband to do chores at home. If he does them without being told to, it is him saying that he loves you and wants to give you a break. My husband takes out the trash and does somethings that I just can't do, but I don't expect him to, he expects him to do it! Also submission isn't handing over all you opinions either, it is picking your fights wisely and giving your opinion gracefully. If your husband is doing something that is wrong, you can call him out on it. You aren't some robot woman brainwashed into doing everything your husband says, you are still his wife who's opinion he loves and respects. You can give them, but ultimately it should be his decision. That is where submission takes it's place. If your husband is a good man, he will see the sincerity in your opinion and accept it. By being submissive, you are showing your husband that you are willing to do whatever it takes to make him relaxed, peaceful and happy at home. In return you earn his respect and consideration. It is a win win situation.

Ephesians 5:21-33

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church

and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,

and to present her to himself as a radiant church,

without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish,

but holy and blameless.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

After all, no one ever hated his own body,

but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--

for we are members of his body.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother

and be united to his wife,

and the two will become one flesh."

This is a profound mystery--

but I am talking about Christ and the church.

However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Answer 14

I think he needs his head read.

Answer 15

yeah, ppl complain about the taliban, but we have our own version of taliban right here.

while he is in the minority, there are still plenty of ppl who think like he does....with hatred, bias and supremacy...

"god given authority"? give me a break...yeah, authority by a bunch of misogynist men who wrote the bible and gave centuries of men un-merited power.

down with patriarchy!

Answer 16

I think that's a very convenient view for an abuser to take. I'd be looking hard at his personal life.

But seriously, churches like this that stress that one whole group of people has to be subservient to another, or face 'the consequences' of their 'disobedience' are hate filled fear mongers.

One can only hope that for them, h**l involves 'obedience' ~ and lots of it.

Cheers :-)

Answer 17

Isn't it funny those who lack control in their own lives feel they must control the lives of others?

Anyone remember Jonestown?

Answer 18

That guy is nuts, I doubt many people would take him seriously.