what is the role of women in Christianity are they supposed to succumb to the will of men ?

Answer 1

No. I'm a Christian woman, and, as far as I'm concerned, succumbing to the will of men is back woods, dark ages thinking. Use all the scripture from the bible you care to, but a woman has the right (even the responsibility) to be her own person. I don't need permission from a man, I wasn't created to serve a man and I certainly don't believe I need to obey a man.

Any man who believes a woman should be submissive to him needs to take a flying leap off of that pedestal he's standing on. A real man doesn't feel the need to control a woman.
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Lydia H, you have a lot of nerve to say that if a woman doesn't want to be submissive to her husband, don't become a Christian. If I wasn't already a Christian, I'd run for the hills after reading your viewpoints.

Answer 2

Just like everything else in life like your job, the government, etc., there is a heirarchy to follow in order to keep order.

The head of Christ is the Father,
the head of the man is the Christ,'
and the head of the woman is the man.

We all have to submit to authority daily. I don't know why people get squeamish that a family also would have a reasonable heirarchy. This doesn't mean men are to abuse or mistreat their wives and that it is okay. We are all spiritual equals, but women should work in harmony with their husbands' wishes and not try to subvert their decisions as the family head. Christians also believe that a husband should love his wife as he loves his own body.

I know this may rankle some, but if you don't want a man to have this authority over you, don't get married and don't become a Christian. This only applies to Christians, remember. Others can do and run their families as they like.

Edit: Loveblue, does the Bible not say that? Did I make that up? You obviously have not looked into the Bible. Your quarrel is with the Bible, not with me. Why do you despise a teaching of your own religion? I wouldn't call myself something if I couldn't follow the teachings. That's hypocrisy. Why do you think so many are confused about Christianity? Because the Bible says one thing and then so-called Christians do the opposite and actively say that these teachings are stupid, outdated, ridiculous, and insult the Christians that hold fast to the teachings of the apostles and Christ. Sorry if the truth of the Bible offends you. You showed how Christ-like you really are by insulting me and by calling the Bible's teachings backwoods. Being a Christian includes more than just calling yourself one. And I have been happily married to a wonderful, handsome man for 14 years who loves and adores me. Go figure. I don't need your approval, only that of the one that will judge me.
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JackieL: I don't understand your point. We are talking about the headship of the "woman," not God or Christ. I don't see why you are trying to make this point. Anyway you order it, the man is still head of the woman. I was going from memory with this scripture; I did not have the bible in front of me. Regardless, I don't agree with whatever you are saying, because in the scripture you quoted, it says that the head of the Christ is God. And then you reverse the order and all of a sudden Christ has no head. Why did Jesus pray to his Father if the Father had no authority over him? He even taught us to pray to the Father.

Answer 3

True Christianity does not do this, that is those who follow Jesus in their heart and in their spirit do not do that.

Other interpretations that include a religion about Jesus, rather than the one that is actually living the religion OF Jesus, will say this and many do it. But they are only subject to each other's wills in the matter. In other words, the two agree to it! And they like it, thinking they are being Godly. So God does tolerate it for those who agree to it. It is not a Godly requirement that anyone follow anyone else or be subject to their will... that's slavery, and it is based upon a false holy doctrine. It is a human doctrine. In the truest sense it is not holy to be slave to anyone. God wants people to stand up and be counted as His children, not as sub-children who agree to be at the whim of someone's will in the name of God - how sad so many succumbed to this. For a marriage where both are equally loved by God, and when both are 100% whole persons in a marriage union,, the family is much more stable, everyone is operating to their fullest, rather than the one more than the other.

Our whole planet is tardy in recognizing the fact of male and female having free will and being children of God, and therefore equally cherished. Both have the ability to be productive in all the things they do, and both should love and cherish each other, not the one subject to the other whenever there is a debate. Not the one lording himself over another. That does not compute. It is a societal woe. Though, in some marriage unions what I see in these are women with lots of stress lines in their faces trying to be in God's will while their husbands hardly have a wrinkle as she toils as his slave... and while she struggles to hold on to her belief this is what God wants for her!

Answer 4

Are you kidding? Is there any happiness in such a situation?There certainly is not love, only control. To me Christianity are followers of Jesus word but they have interpreted it so far off that I bet Jesus is shaking in his boots. He was trying to tell us that what he could do we could do, if we followed his example which was love, non judgement etc. Now does that sound like any woman should"succumb to the will of men". Control never brings love!

Answer 5

Not my mom nor my wife. Women have the same role as men do as far as religion goes. Nice try on your part. Try thinking next time.

Answer 6

There is no "specific" role for women designated in Christianity. Women, just like men, are called to be conformed to the image of Christ, are called sons of God, are called to be bold and strong, are called to teach, preach, evangelize and even to be "tyrants" in their homes. They are to be filled with the Spirit, to admonish, correct with love, give, be kind etc. In fact, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not given according to gender and neither are the fruits of the Spirit. As Paul says, there is One God and One Spirit---the same God for men as women and the same Spirit for men and women.

The only will that Christian women are to seek (or that Christian men are to seek) is the will of God. Anything that stands between one and the will of God is to be over come. As the Scriptures say, we're to be God pleasers not man pleasers.



Lydia H:
In order to make your point about hierarchy you had to change the order of the hierarchy given in 1 Corinthians 11:3. Now, I don't wish to attack, but isn't it possible that if you have to "correct" what Paul wrote in order to get it to mean what you say it means that you might not be as correct in your interpretation as you think?

1 Corinthians 11: 3-But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ.

Instead of the relationship order being:
God to Christ, Christ to man, man to woman

it is:
Christ to man, man (or husband, the Greek isn't clear) to woman/wife, God to Christ.

Paul, a fantastic rhetoritician, didn't set up the hierarchial format you indicate; rather it is completely flipped around. Since Paul didn't do it, I would assume the Holy Spirit didn't inspire him to do so. Which for me, means it was not the Holy Spirit's intention ( and I for one am not qualified to correct the Holy Spirit!)

I would also point that the Scripture does not say "Father" but rather God....and that in trinitarian theology at least, Jesus is God (as much as the Father and Holy Spirit). That you've changed this in order to make it fit with your interpretation would, to me, be another sign that the interpretation isn't in line with Scriptural teaching.

Answer 7

The Bible is clear. Women are to obey husbands. But wait, there is two sides to this. In the same chapter, men are to treat women as Christ treated the Church, giving their lives up in service, cherishing, nurturing, loving, building up.

It is not by chance that God took a RIB of man to create women - as this is the side of a man and women and men are to stand side by side - working together.

Answer 8

Biblical Christianity stresses mutual submission to Christ.

Answer 9

The Will of God only prevails with christian women, serving men is no sin.

Answer 10

Thats what the bible says. (Ephesians 5:22 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.