Women. You have men by the balls.(...)

[John V]

Duly noted and confirmed, the bible does not outright say that women are inept. Nor does it say women are adulterers for getting a divorce only, and yes it is clear to me now that just because my dad interpreted all those verses with regards to women the way he did, doesn't mean that that's what it was saying. He is wrong.

Glad you can see that now.

Doesn't change the fact that my family suffered because of the tenets written in this book claiming to be the word of god, because they are up for interpretation and the bible has no qualms with sexism thus it propagates it whether maliciously or no. If I were god I wouldn't let half that stuff through because I'd know it would be taken wrong or in ignorance. Or that it might just be taken right, in the case of "suffer no witch to live," etc.

Personally I’d blame the people who misinterpret.

I apologize for calling you sexist however, and granted I do have an agenda. Between you and me, I'd say you're the one with an agenda due to your living life per your doctrine but I do have an equal rights agenda yeah.

I am a seeker, I'm open to all views. But I don't agree with your views.

Yes, I have an agenda. That’s why I don’t try to fool myself or others by saying I’m a seeker and open to all views.

For the record, my issue is not that you're the end all be all of the household. I personally feel that my husband will be as well, and that I will respect his decisions not without question but unquestionably, I will support him in the end. Because I trust him with my life, because I trust his morality, and because I trust him to make the right decision. The difference between you and I is this however, and is what I do have qualms with. For me there will be me, and my husband. For you there is you, your wife, and the bible. In any case that may come up, you can point to this 'other' authority that states that she should submit. It's degrading.

From a Christian viewpoint it’s not at all degrading. Most people have heard the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Or how about in Gethsemane, when he prayed for the cross to be taken away, but said “not my will but thine be done”? Biblically, there’s honor in humility, submission, and service.

Many Christian women argue that it is the people like you who are the sexists, as you judge the roles which they willingly take on and take honor in to be degrading.

Before she even opens her mouth her point is mute. She must live her life knowing she's a lesser authority not by her choice but because a book says so. She may be fine with that, but, does she have a choice?

Yes. You were raised with this book but now denounce it. Seems pretty obvious there’s a choice there.

I do know what marriage represents Biblically, skewed as my examples have been.

I doubt it. Marriage is a figure of the relationship between God and his people.

Marriage can be just as beautiful without the bible, however. I don't disagree with most of it for the record, just this paramount point written in the fine print which degrades all the rest of the writings with regards to women's value. You can put her on a pedestal all you want, make her feel like the queen of the world, you can say you are both of one flesh, but that doesn't change her status in the hierarchy that her religion proposes as truth. The dichotomy is that she's part of you yet lesser than you.

Only if you judge the worth of a person by the amount of authority they hold.

As for my dad and your advice with regards to speaking to him, I thank you. In his case I am torn between two paths. One path being having an all out debate about the bible and why he believes but not because I care about what he believes as being wrong. He can think all he wants about women and the world, muslims, gays, what have you. I've held my tongue my whole life in my love for him, I can do it the rest of my life too. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm losing him to physical and mental disease and he refuses to go to the doctor for biblical reasoning. The ending is going to be tragic, and it might not just stop with his death. Might go farther, as he is crossing into the land of schizophrenia and his religious gihad gets worse by the year.
Either way I lose him, but I do love him enough to fight for his existence even if it makes me the 'enemy'. Otherwise with the other path, I'm just an enabler and I won't feel right at his funeral. My instinct is telling me to cut him out completely and let what will be, be. But my heart screams something else.

I’d just suggest thoroughly examining your own motivations before talking to him about religion. Probably won’t end well.

[Mystical]

I’d just suggest thoroughly examining your own motivations before talking to him about religion. Probably won’t end well.

It won't end well either way, sadly. To address his medical issues I must address his personal beliefs. I didn't make it that way, he did. I can of course choose not to address them, but I'm of the opinion that in this life we can choose to help alter the path that others have chosen to take and at the very least, be the last warning signal on their way. If you truly love them, they deserve nothing less.
For instance, my best friend and her husband were doing meth. When I found out, I told her mother and they did an intervention for her and not only did that save her marriage (and their daughter) but it changed their lives in ways I can't even fathom. She goes to school now. I'm not afraid to do what's right when I feel so so wrong doing it, because I know my motivations are purely love.

[thesummerqueen]

Jesus Harry Randolph Christ, I leave for a few days and the thread explodes to 24 pages.

[Greatest I am]

Jesus Harry Randolph Christ, I leave for a few days and the thread explodes to 24 pages.

Kinda wild eh.

Some O P's are diamond, some are coal.

Regards
DL

[thesummerqueen]

I think rather that some are silly string bombs.