another take on Selma and her not liking being hit

therevealer

12 Selma recalls a lesson she learned from the Witness who studied with her. "On one particular day," says Selma, "I didn't want to have a Bible study. The night before, Steve had hit me as I had tried to prove a point, and I was feeling sad and sorry for myself. After I told the sister what had happened and how I felt, she asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As I did, I began to reason, 'Steve never does any of these loving things for me.' But the sister made me think differently by asking, 'How many of those acts of love do you show toward your husband?' My answer was, 'None, for he is so difficult to live with.' The sister softly said, 'Selma, who is trying to be a Christian here? You, by feeling sorry for your pathetic little self or Steve who is trying to knock some sense into you?' Realizing that I needed to adjust my thinking, I prayed to Jehovah to help me be more loving toward Steve and not feel so sad and sorry for myself when he hit me. Slowly, things started to change." After 17 years of being hit for being so strong minded thinking a woman could or should even try to prove a point to a man a miracle happened. Steve accepted the truth.

And what the hey does (1Corinthians13:4-7)4 Love is long-suffering and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, does not get puffed up, 5 does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. 6 It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Have to do with this anyway??

InterestedOne

Regarding 1 Cor 13:4-7, some of the phrases apply to part of what the article is suggesting. The ones I see are "long-suffering," "does not keep account of the injury," "bears all things," "endures all things." Upon further reflection, I don't think I like 1 Cor 13:4-7 anymore.

cedars

I don't think even Paul would have intended applying 1 Cor 13:4-7 to each and every situation. If someone pushes you off a cliff, are you supposed to "endure", and not keep account of the injury? It's ridiculous to apply scriptures like this to the 'nth degree', especially when physical harm has been inflicted and no apology has been offered.

Cedars

therevealer

And do we really feel that the way that scripture is dealing with the subject of love has anything to do with "'Steve never does any of these loving things for me.'" The society themselves point to the word agape as the form of Love used here. Certainly not the kind of love a woman would want in place of being hit methinks. And the reason I only methinks is cuz I am not a woman. Just sayin though.

palmtree67

Good point, Cedars.

Good thread, Revealer.

jgnat

As my old pastor says, "Scripture balances scripture". The balance to "endure all things" is Matthew 18

15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED . 17 “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

http://biblebrowser.com/matthew/18-15.htm

Also, Ephesians 5:25

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body

I would say if a partner abuses the other, the covenant of love is broken. For either to continue in it's bruised state is a slap to love.

Disillusioned Lost-Lamb

This article and experience is just misogyny at it's finest.

Finkelstein

Man made religions throughout human history positioned woman as second class people who had to be under the subjective control and obedience to men.

Whether its from Christianity, Muslim faiths or whatever.

Since the gods were mostly perceived to be male of course, this embellished their identity of themselves.

The weaker sex being in subservant control of the more stronger sex.

Band on the Run

Someone told me that the Orthodox churches believe a marriage creates a body similar to a human body and just as a human body dies, a marriage can die. They granted divorces before the Western churches.

Pagans often worshipped female goddesses. They were the powerful one. Men cannot give birth. PBS had a documentary showing many thousands of fertility goddesses that were worshipped all over Israel with Jehovah. YHWH only was a later development.

I regret I did not do more to try to organize a concerted protest. One of my concerns if that I have been out too long to be a powerful voice. My heart is beating faster now. I am so stirred up. The WT raises very bad memories.

They did not have to make that statement. Why not weasal word it?