question about beliefs?

Question

I want to know if I am wrong about something. My mother read in the bible that all women should be silenced and that they should listen to their men. Since she read that she has been letting her husband abuse her because she thinks that she is supposed to. I told her that women have equal rights the same as men do. I was wondering if I am wrong for getting upset at her for following that phrase in the bible even though she is losing all of her self-respect. Any advice would be appreciated.

For the person who said the Bible doesn't say a woman should be dormant it is in first timothy chapter 2 verses 11 and 12 in the king james version bible.

Answer 1

I would recommend having your mother read this:

Ephesians 5:21  Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto 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 saviour of the body.
24  Therefore as the church is subject unto 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 loveth his wife loveth himself.
29  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth 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 unto 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.

Answer 2

you've really got to consider the time-line when the bible was written.. this was also the time when it was ok for a man to have more than one wife, or when it was totally acceptable to stone someone to death. the bible,although a holy book, was only written by men and should not be taken literally. the bible should be more of a guide rather than a rulebook, per say. and besides, i don't think God meant that women can just allow themselves to be abused. it's just that at the time the bible was written men had to work extremely hard to provide thier family with food and the woman's part of the marraige would be to help and support thier husband(not very different from today) but at that time the woman's options were very small.. so really.. consider the timeline.. human intellect and self-awareness should have evolved since then.. good luck with your mom

Answer 3

My sweet dear the Bible does say a woman should be silent,but it oes not say that a man has the right to abuse are treat is wife with disrespect.
Even if the wife may be concidered the lesser half you still cannot assume that it is okay to treat them like dirt because you say well it is in the Bible.
NOT! the Bible says a lot of things that we take the wrong way.
So dear just talk with you mom and tell her that it is not okay if her husband treats her like gum on the bottom of his shoe.
Because the Bible does not say for a man to Lord over the wife you are equal partners one flesh.

Answer 4

She has taken that verse out of context.

1Co 14:32 And the prophets' spirits are under the control of the prophets,
1Co 14:33 since God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints,
1Co 14:34 the women should be silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but should be submissive, as the law also says.
1Co 14:35 And if they want to learn something, they should ask their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church meeting

This verse is referring to the Jewish Synagogues of the times. The men stood or sat around and discoursed the things of God. The women sat to the side and listened. It was a cultural thing and has nothing to do with the church today. It was a Jewish teaching for Jews 2000 years ago.

The gist of it was that women should not stand up in the public meeting and rebuke or challenge the men, especially her husband. Again, it was a cultural thing.


Your mother needs to seek wiser biblical teachers to help her understand these concepts.

Answer 5

Abuse is wrong and your mother needs to get help. Those type of phrases in the bible are used by fundamentalists and are very outdated and are often used to control people.

I mean think about it...do you really think that God wants anyone to be cruel to another person? You were right in telling your mom that everyone should be treated equally.

There's no way to make her get out of an abusive situation if she doesn't want to but maybe you can give her the number of an abuse hot line in case she ever wants to call it.

This is the number for the National Domestic Abuse hotline:
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Answer 6

No you are not wrong. She needs to reread that again and also read the verse before and after because( not the exact words) it say in church when there is a problem that the older men are to take care of it and that wife is not to question the husband about there. Have her show you where it is read it together and then talk about maybe you both can help one another with the understanding of this verse. Good Luck and I'll keep you both in my prayers..

Answer 7

She only understands the half of what is said. What is written is true, but in context. In the Catholic Church we teach that it doesn't mean a woman is a slave to man in marriage. It is a relationship. If the rest is read, then you will also see the responsibility of the man to the woman. A man is to love his wife as Christ loves His Church. And so, if the husband is abusing their spouse, is the husband living up to his responsibility to her? And so, you are not wrong for standing up to the injustice brought upon your mother.
The husband needs counseling and faith to know how to justly respond to his wife, your mother.
May the Lord bless and keep you. May He let the light of His face shine upon you.
God's and your beast of burden
Fr. john

Answer 8

Actually, the Bible doesn't make any cliams that a woman should be a doormat. None at all. Your mother is wrong. No woman should ever let a man abuse her and the Bible neither condones nor excuses that behavior.

Answer 9

If your mother wants to live her life "biblically" she should read the whole bible and not just pay attention to a passage here and a passage there. Taken in context, the short story in the bible is that God wanted us to live in a certain manner...which we didn't. God sent his Son Jesus Christ to us and he sacrificed his own life so that we may be forgiven by God for all our sins. I doubt your mother has never sinned in any way because she is human and thereby flawed like the rest of us. So why, now, should she put up with abuse in fear of not following her beliefs. She can not let him do that, and if she thinks that is wrong, she can pray to God through Jesus Christ for forgiveness.

Answer 10

that is taken out of context. there are rules for the husband as well, which is taking care of the wife. he has to love and respect the family, and uphold them w/ honor by the way he acts. if a man is honorable and good, then it is true a woman should listen to her man. but if he is Wrong....what's the point of her listening? he is not thinking for her best interest! it only works if the man knows what is good for the family as a whole. if not, i think a woman needs to find a man who DOES follow the right thing to do, that way she will submit and listen to someone who will take care of her.

Answer 11

The Bible does instruct wive's to obey their husbands, but they may not disobey a higher authority to obey him. Nor must they give up their diginity as people. Husbands must love and respect their wives, and should not be abusive to them.

Equality is unrelated question. We are all equal in the eyes of God, but our equality is lived out through our differences. A woman trying to live as a man cannot equal a man, but woman living out her calling as woman is his equal.