Some Thoughts on the Bible and Other Matters of Faith.....

I know some unbelievers, and I follow the blog of an unbeliever or two. Most of the female unbelievers I know were once believers who have "left the faith". Most of them have done so because of bad marriages. They say that being a Christian is demeaning to women by forcing women to submit to men, keeping women in bondage, condoning and encouraging abuse and worse. Wow. They aren't reading the same Bible that I'm reading.

The Bible clearly states that women should submit to their husband. We all know that, even if we may not like it. The kicker is, and the part that most people don't acknowledge or recognize or whatever is what the Bible says about MEN and how they should act toward their wives. In that oh so famous verse of

Ephesians 5:22-24

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.

I suppose to some that may seem to be totally unreasonable and impossible, and yes even foolish to do. Yet if you read on...

Ephesians 5:25-25,28,31,33

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

There are lots more verses like this, but I'll let you look them up yourself if you are interested. The point is this... God gave us a brain. He gave us the tools that we need for living. He commanded women to love, respect, and submit to their husband. If you can't love, respect, and submit to the man you are dating, then DON'T MARRY HIM! If he doesn't love you as he loves himself, cherish and respect you and enjoy taking care of you, then DON'T MARRY HIM! There are people out there who think the Bible condones spousal abuse, extra-marital affairs, and who knows what else. I think they believe this because they aren't opening the Book and reading it themselves, they are looking for others to tell them what to believe. You must use the brain that God blessed you with, dig into the Word of God and read it yourself, then figuring out what is true and what isn't.

I chose my husband with God in full control. Therefore I am blessed with a man who loves me as he loves himself, and I have no problem submitting to him in all things. Does that mean we don't discuss? Of course not! Does that mean he doesn't take my opinion into account? Again, of course not! We talk, discuss, debate and consult on every single decision that we make, from what type of toilet paper to buy, to if we buy new appliances. It does however, mean that I respect my husband enough (or I wouldn't have married him) to respect his decision as final. It also means that because of the love and true respect my husband has for me we usually arrive at the same decision!

In closing I'd like to say this. (I know you are so ready for me to stop typing :P) The Youngun's Bible verse for Wednesday was Colossians 3:20
This opened up a discussion about blind obedience. I asked her what this verse meant to her. She said it meant do what your folks tell you because it makes God happy. I said that's right. But what if a parent were to tell a child to go up to the store and steal them a soda. Should the child do it? If they don't do it, they are disobeying their parent. She said, but if they do it, they are disobeying God. I asked which was worse. She said disobeying God. Good girl! God's word is law, first and foremost. If you've got some nutjob who blew up an abortion clinic because "God told him to" his Christian education fell apart somewhere along the way because the God that I know, love, and walk hand in hand with every day wouldn't tell somebody to do that. If a husband beats his wife because "the Bible says she must submit, and I'm teaching her to submit!" then again, his Christian education is lacking! And yes, if a woman embarrasses her husband in public, puts him down and totally disrespects him, then her Christian education is sorely lacking.

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord

Choose your spouse wisely. If you don't particularly even like them, then don't yoke yourself to them for life! Use the brain God blessed you with.

Sorry for the soapbox, but I was folding laundry and had this whole blog post in my head, so I had to come post it! :)

Till next time............GOD BLESS!