xjwsforChrist

SABASTIOUS SAID

All throughout my life I have been presented various groupings of personal characteristics that define what man is supposed to be. "You see him, he's a man. You see him, he's not a man." They were often presented in opposition to the rest of the groupings that existed as if there was only one way, one process, to accomplish manhood. In the midst of all this chaos and contradiction I realized that what makes a man is much simpler than my role models previously suggested. To be a man is to be a decision maker and because of this the end result of a man's life is a series of decisions. From menial decisions like hair and facial hair length to the more monumental such as what fields to become adept in or what fish to choose in the vast sea. What a man leaves behind should be measurable and tangible. To be a man is make a case and become accounted for.

Too many make it out to be about what choices are made when it's actually just about about the choices themselves. Because once they are made they become part of the whole. That's why a man can describe "men" with perceived authority because they are able to interpret the data compilation as they relate to it. Men are here to take risks and see them to finish. Choice IS risk and life is choice.

-Sab

TEC SAID

Interesting perspective Sab.

Not a man, so I'm just adding it to the food to ponder pile

Peace to you,
tammy

AGUEST SAID



I had to take your post to my Lord, dear Sab (peace to you, dear one!) so as to understand what you meant. And now that I think about it, it makes absolute sense. The thing is, dear one, that LIFE is risk... for all living, breathing things. But if you don't take the risk... and make the decision, one way or another... you're not living. Are you?

I have learned a wonderful thing, though... as a result of your post: and it is that some view faith as a risk (and given what religion ("christianity") has wrought, I can understand that). But the truth is that it isn't, really. Indeed, faith in the Most Holy One of Israel... and His Son... is perhaps the only decision man can make that comes with NO risk. The ONLY "sure" thing.

Thank YOU for providing the means for me to know that truth. I didn't, before.

Peace to you!

YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,

SA

SABASTIOUS SAID



Hello Tec, in ancient times it was ideal for the female to provide beta-like duties. Such would include staying back while food was hunted and gathered by others to perform tasks such as infant rearing and food preparation. The alpha role being survival based tactics within a territory.

In modern day the same framework works well. There are many thriving alpha-beta relationships that exist today. It's a classic relationship build that works. However, an alpha-alpha or beta-beta relationship can exist, but does so on a different set of rules.

So, what I am saying is that women who want to be generals and presidents are not unnatural, just unconventional. Individual women have shown equal strength of mind and character in all areas of humanity. Interestingly, Genesis 2:18 uses a word that comes from the root "neged" which means "in front of, in sight of, opposite to."

This means that woman was made to oppose man, but in a way that would help as the word "ezer" is used as well in the verse. Is that not an elegant explanation of the relationship between man and woman? Women are here to challenge men and, that they do.

Shelby mentioned that women called their men "Lord", but that was told in a setting placed AFTER the curse or "fall." Before the curse if a woman called her man lord it would just be a cunning move against him. It would not be like it is now, it's shameful how women are portrayed. I think it's disgusting for rappers to have women in chains even if just for show. It serves to glorify a world that Genesis 3 talks about. A fallen world where women are trafficked for sex and victimized and treated as lower then men. This is because they were designed to challenge. The only way to beat a legitimate opposition without cooperation is through fear. Every man who abuses his wife actually fears her dreadfully. Similar to overacting due to an unnatural fear like shooting a wolf spider with a sawed off shut gun.

The point is that men and women were always designed to be equal. The Torah is a PRO woman document and always has been from the beginning. To impose a Paulian hierarchy upon a populace that is so obviously for women's rights is absurd. Paul was simply giving good advice to the people of his time. He was explaining the law. In a modern democratic government you can theoretically expand and retract as much as you want. Now we have women voting rights and we see the legislature as a proud badge. We also see it as a long time coming for women and there is still a lot of work to be done. Sexism still rampant because mainstream religion simply ignored the simple text within the Torah. That women were originally designed to not only be man's equal, but man's challenger for the cause of good. Man's counterpart, if you will.

Genesis 3 is often used as a justification to abuse women. However, this is the WRONG application of Genesis. As men with free will we have the choice to abuse our counter parts or not. The question is if we do NOT are we going against the Bible? Of course not! So, therefore NOT abusing your mate, even granting her equality within the relationship should be tipping the scale towards the original design. This would mean that any organization who claims that the Bible GIVES a man any kind of authority over his wife would be PART OF THE CURSE OF GENESIS 3.

-Sab

QUENTIN SAID

A man's role is to be kind, gentil and observent in order to fullfill the needs of wife and family. We were not given a mandate to be lord and master over any one for there is only ONE Lord and Master over all.

The man who attempts to displace the Lord and Master is in revolt aginst the order of things.

"... but man's challenger for the cause of good..." I see no flaw in that comment. Kathy is smarter with more common sense than I could ever hope for. Best thing that ever happended to me. If not for her I would have been dead at 30.
_________________
Vinegar tasts better in freedom
than honey in slavery

How can you unterstand a thing unless you know it?
How can you know a thing unless you understand it?

AGUEST SAID

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 5:24 pm Post subject:
It's a difficult thing for many men to admit a/their woman is smarter and has more common sense that they (peace to you all!). This is a result of society's requirements, not God or Christ.

Eve came OUT of Adham, so whatever is in US... was in man to begin with. His "feminine" side... which also exists in the Most Holy One of Israel, JAH of Armies, Himself, AND in His Son and Christ, the Holy One of Israel, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH. As with all spirit beings: there is neither male nor female, but both. The "complete" being. Some humans have some of both, as well (and I'm not necessarily talking about the androgynous or hermaphrotic, but those who may have the SPIRIT one... but the BODY of another - the body is nothing more than a vessel FOR the spirit).

To appear stronger and more "fearsome" to their enemies, many ancient peoples relegated the women of their enemies to a lesser position. This ultimately led to them relegating their own women to such (due to mixing nations/cultures, etc.). In addition, in hand-to-hand situations, men could often overpower women (even easier once women accepted this thought of BEING "weak(er)" - but one only need see a woman fight off an attack of her children to know that she is NOT necessarily weaker; indeed, a woman will stand off a lion that is threatening her child faster than a man... who has to stand around, scratching his head, thinking about the best WAY to have a stand off - LOLOLOL! Mom would have that cat dead and bagged by the time Dad said, "Oh, wait, NOW I know what to do!" LOLOLOL!).

It was a woman's ability to be raped and impregnated... that made hers the "weaker vessel" (and not her ability to menstruate - although menstruation causes many modern women to... mmmmm... "appear" weaker, to themselves as well as others). It is pregnancy and childbirth that renders us weak... because it renders our vessels weak in the interim, either literally or because of our state of mind as to the unborn child. Also, it is difficult to run/fight under advanced conditions of the first, and under almost any situation as to the last... to the risk of the LIFE of the mother AND/OR child.

But MENTALLY... and, long ago, emotionally, spiritually, etc., we were not weaker but very often stronger. There are even examples in the Bible (for those who need that): Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Jael, Abigail, Naomi, Ruth, Hanna, Esther, Michal and Jezebel (both to their own detriment and perhaps their husband's), and more. And secular history has many, many more: woman who were mathmeticians, scientists, doctors, architects, warriors, and more. Indeed, there is the saying that behind every good man is a good woman. I would take that further to say, in the vein of Jezebel, behind every powerful man... there is some woman who is actually calling the shots.

Some even believe that Eve was the reason Adham made the decision he did (she was not - Adham actually made his own choice and then threw her under the bus). Along with the whole "your craving will be for him and he will dominate you", these are merely excuses supposedly "god-fearing" men have used to compensate for their own insecurities and weaknesses. I say this because if the TRUTH is that a/one's woman IS smarter, stronger, more capable, etc., the failure/inability to admit that, perhaps even work to convince HER otherwise... is deceitful... and so cannot originate with God.

But some of the BEST men this world has ever known are/have been secure... and honest... enough to acknowledge the capabiliites/abilities of the wom(en) in his/their life/lives, even if that makes HIM appear "weak" to others. He is an honest man. Same for women as to the men in their lives - many woman feel that putting the men in their lives down (as "idjits") is okay. While acknowledging that such may have... mmmmm... "challenges"... that women might find resolving a snap... doesn't mean it's okay to make him out to be a "doofus" to others. Like us, men are entitled to respect... and honor.

That doesn't mean blowing each other's capabilities up SO much because we think others should/want others to REVERE the men/women in our lives as perhaps WE do. When we do that, we're actually only seeking to blow ourselves up - "Look what I have/chose! How wonderful am I!" We're also setting THEM up for great failure in front of others ("Okay, he/she's okay, great even, but they're not ALL that"). The pressure this puts on the other is NOT from a place of love... but from a place of "here's what I want him/her to be, and so I'm giving them something to rise to"... rather than a place of loving such one "as they are."

Just some things to think about... that I learned from listening to/observing my Lord. Not meant to "teach" or tell anyone "how" to be. If it resounds with you, great. If not, no worries - I was not directed to share it (nor not to), but chose to do so because of how much this all helped ME "see" mankind a little better. We can't always rely on what... mmmmm... religion tells us is the case as to/between men and women, because they don't know, for the most part. They read the Bible and go, "Oh, men MUST dominate over women because God SAID they would!" As someone posted (I can't remember who, but the greatest of love and peace to you!), man... any man... can CHOOSE... NOT to do so. Just as any woman can choose NOT to have her craving for her husband (or at least, an earthly husband - she can CHOOSE her craving to be for her spiritual "husband," Christ).

Just as both, who have in subjection to THEM the beasts of the earth... can CHOOSE to not "dominate" those... but live in harmony with them.

As you can see, there is a LOT "in" me on this topic. I think it began developing in me as a JW - watching men "dominate", simply because they thought they were supposed to (and not because they actually had the requisite intelligence to do so!) used to blow my mind! The whole chest-puffing thing... man oh man. And the women literally cowering because... why? Because of a verse in the Bible that said her husband would dominate over her because of her craving for him? Okay, but that's MY husband - not YOU, brother... or some other woman's husband! My "craving," if I had one... wasn't to be just some man, ANY man, just because he WAS a man! Where is THAT "written"??

And so I had to take the matter to my Lord: "Okay, the Father said that a [certain] woman's craving would be for her husband. Does that apply to ALL women... as to ALL men, my Lord? Or to those women who marry?" And you can tell from the above what I received from him on the matter.

Bottom line: ALL should have respect for ALL, whether married or not. Those who ARE should have respect and honor for their mate, he for her and she for him (or whatever the situation). Other MEN should have respect for OTHER men's wives... and treat them accordingly... and other WOMEN should respect other women's husbands... and treat them accordingly. In THIS way they respect the husband and wife of that other couple.

Because the two are ONE... and if you disrespect ONE... you ARE disrespecting the other. That is the whole premise behind "Thou shalt not commit adultery." As it is with all of the OTHER "Laws" - regard for one's brother/fellowman. Of course, all [have] sinned, if not in this way then some other.

Praise JAH... there is a savior!

Again, peace to you all!

A slave of Christ,

SA