Well, I was thinking that, like many women who bear it, dear ANOMOS (peace to you!), they simply don't know any better/that they don't HAVE to (of course, some DO have to, as their lives may depend on it, but THESE don't). And then my Lord said to me, "No, child. That is NOT the case HERE. HERE... they "endure" it... because they LOVE it. They WANT to be dominated so. It's one of the reasons that harlot is attractive TO them. They don't WANT to think... because they believe that by not doing so they will not be held accountable. They believe they will be able to blame not only the false leaders... but their husbands. And so they WANT to be treated like children as they believe they will not be held accountable as full grown on their own. They are in error."
And then he reminded me of two sets of true statements, the first written by Jeremiah, as to ancient Israel:
"A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way." Jeremiah 5:30, 31
The men... AND the women. The members of the WTBTS LOVE the false prophesies... and self-given authority... of the false prophets who seat themselves in Moses' seat... and on which such treatment of women is founded. It was Jewish TRADITION and ROMAN law... NOT Christ... or the LAW of Christ that brought such views about, both coming NOT from within Israel but from the nations they integrated with (Babylon and Rome).
The second, was from Paul as WHY such women would later succumb to such treatment. It's written several ways, depending on the Bible version. Here, from the NWT:
"But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. From among these arise men who slyly work their way into households and captivate weak women loaded down with sins, led by various desires, always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth." 2 Timothy 3:1-7
The NIV calls these women gullible. The KJV calls them silly. The NLT calls them vulnerable. The Greek word is "gynaikarion" and means "little women" in an insulting kind of way. Which might be why I "hate" their whole "There, there, little woman," attitude/way of addressing women. It's so frickin' condescending... and coming from FALSE prophets, liars, haters, etc., once I understood that is what they were... made it even worse.
I had never experienced anything like it before becoming a JDub... and bucked against it from day one. Eventually, I bent... some... a little (LOL!)... because I wanted to be "obedient." But I would... could... only bend so far. Then I was like, "Seriously, you're gonna teach ME "truth"... and you don't even know what a... whatever it was... is... or don't even understand the flippin' paragraph in this week's study, and so are just gonna throw some "wordiful" mess out there and pretty much dare anyone to disagree with you??"
I did not think that about the leaders because I THOUGHT they were educated (somehow, I thought Franz was a Rhodes Scholar; I learned later, he wasn't). But the oh-so-righteous elders/elderettes... who'd never done anything but clean houses and offices... I just couldn't understand the condescension... OR the disdain for SOME education. I mean, at least enough to understand the words the WTBTS itself used. I mean, besides words like "theocratic," the "Society," and "Armageddon," and "publisher," and "territory" and "Gilead," etc. Words pretty much only they use.
I NEVER saw Christ being condescending toward women in ANY of the readings (but oh, don't they make a big deal over his words to Mary when she told him they'd run out of wine - praise JAH, the "tone" THEY apply to his words is yet another lie), and often saw women well, if not highly regarded by him/JAH.
But because they DON'T have holy spirit... because they DON'T listen to God (but to "Jehovah", who doesn't truly exist... and so, really, they're listening to the men "behind the curtain")... and so don't listen to His SON... but (THINK they listen to Paul)... they are SO off-base in this area.
I can see how, though, if you're an insecure, frightened, haughty man... how such a woman would be desirable. Someone who would never challenge you, question you, disagree with you, etc. I mean, can you imagine what MIGHT have happened if Sapphira had disagreed with Ananais??! They BOTH might have lived. Praise JAH... there was Sarah. Because she stood her ground and faced Abraham down when she saw him allowing Hagar try and undermine what JAH Himself had told her. She was like, "Oh NO ya'll won't! JAH said ISAAC was to be the heir! JAH... said. So, I don't care WHAT you say, Abe, and you KNOW I couldn't care less what that Hagar says: we gon' listen to JAH. I am... and, therefore, YOU are." LOLOLOL!
Of course, Abe tried to NOT listen to Sarah... but he got himself right corrected, didn't he?
If the MOST HOLY One of Israel Himself, JAH of Armies, told His own FRIEND... and the man He PROMISED to make a holy nation out of to listen TO HIS WIFE... where do they get that it's wrong to do so?? Sure, if SHE'S disobeying JAH (notice, I said disobeying JAH... and not disobeying the "elders"... "overseers"... "ministerial servants"... and what all manner of OTHER men, including minor sons... some women must "obey").
But even a wife's obedience to JAH and Christ trumps whatever "loyalty" she thinks she must have for her husband. He's only her head to the extent HE is obedient... and listens... to JAH and Christ. If HE isn't... then how can he demand she be obedient to HIM?
Stupid. Makes absolutely NO sense... if one truly LOOKS at it. And looks... with eyes OF truth.
Sorry. Tangent. Ya'll can tell, this particular topic chaps my hide. I think I mentioned that already, so... well, just stickin' with the truth. It chaps my HIDE.
Don't get me wrong: this doesn't mean that women get to just run roughshod over and be totally disrespectful of men, though, either. To the contrary, we are to treat our brother... and our husbands are our brothers FIRST... as we would want to be treated BY our brothers: with christlike love, respect, regard, honor, etc. Always. So all the nagging, crying, screaming, complaining, disrespecting, putting down, and disobeying "just because", etc., is just as bad.
CHRISTIAN couples have to remember: they are christians FIRST. EVERYTHING else comes after that: husband, wife, mother, father, child, sibling, employee, what have you. If they remember that... and act accordingly... they don't NEED men... and certainly not false prophets... to TELL them how to act/get along with one another. They would KNOW that "to the extent they do it"... to their spouse... they do it to Christ himself. Even if that spouse isn't a christian. Why? Because, in the eyes of JAH and Christ... THEY ARE ONE FLESH.
Okay, okay, enough. I'm done. Really. For now, anyway. I reserve the right to start up again, especially if my dear Lord says to me what he did at the beginning of this post.
Peace... and remember: there is neither Jew nor Greek... male nor female... slave nor freeman. ALL are EQUAL... in Christ.
Servant to the Household of God, Israel, and all those who go with, and a slave (by choice) of Christ,
Shellamar
|