truthseeker

As I have listened to and reflected upon the debate between comps and egals over the headship-of-husband-over-wife-issue, it seems often the conclusion is that if both parties want it, and no one is being ‘hurt’ then it is ok. I disagree. If we first determine that the bible teaches that husbands, as ‘heads’, are NOT to usurp or have authority over wives (realizing some may not even come to this determination), then I don’t see how it can really be a benignly acceptable matter if some DO chose to have a husband-as-authority head position in a marriage. If God does NOT authorize it, and if He goes further to say we can only have one Lord and Master, then are we not seriously usurping and impinging upon His authority-let alone disobeying- if we designate some as heads over others in this manner?

If so, that is no light matter. It is not even ok if both parties involved agree to it. Just because two people agree to something doesn’t make it right. It would be like two (or more) people deciding that it is ok to make any given human the authority/head/lord/master of their human life-24/7 (as is the case with husbands and wives), not just for work, or club membership or whatever. If God commands us to have no other except Himself as Lord and Master, then it is a very serious thing if we allot that position to some human or other being. It was certainly a serious thing when the Israelites designated a constructed calf as their god while Moses was up on the mountain meeting with God.

Additionally, if it is determined to be not only NOT something God has explicity commanded, but also something He commands against, then it is not possible for it to NOT be harmful on some level. In the church my spouse attends (I do not) the teaching is explicit that the wife is to submit her will, talents, abilities and desires to her husband. To me, that is a seriously flawed teaching. We do at times submit ourselves temporarily to employers, to the rules of a given organization, etc., but to submit one’s entire being for one’s entire earthly life to another is horrific. Only our Lord has the right to that place in our lives.