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SUBMISSION : A DIRTY WORD? By Jean Jantzen I stayed in submission to my husband, and he allowed me to do anything I wanted to. I felt like I was lucky to have that kind of romance. June Carter Cash
In her book Why Women Need Freedom From Religion, Annie Laurie Gaylor says "Organized religion always has been and remains the greatest enemy of women’s rights. In the Christian-dominated Western world, two bible verses in particular sum up the position of women. "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."–Genesis 3:16 By this third chapter of Genesis, woman lost her rights, her standing–even her identity, and motherhood became a God-inflicted curse degrading her status in the world." Is Annie Gaylor correct? Is that the way Jesus viewed women? In today’s world we cannot blame women for being turned off religion or concerned with the way men treat them. Many women in the world are viewed as second class citizens. Women hear the word submission and they run away as fast as they can. Why can’t we be equal to men women ask? Was God’s purpose for a woman just to be in subjection to a man? Did God love women less? Was her role in the scheme of things to serve a different purpose than that of man? Does God listen to women’s prayers?Even I had to ask some of these questions when I was called by God forty years ago. I had never seriously considered or analyzed my role as woman, wife or mother, according to God’s word. I did not particularly take to the word submission either…it had never been part of my vocabulary. I had not been in the church long when I came face to face with the less-than-palatable concept and with my limited understanding of it, I got my back up. I pleaded with God to give me time and lots of it. I appealed to His patience, telling him it would take me forever to overcome what I considered my headstrong personality in order to submit to my husband, something I thought a necessary virtue in order to be a good Christian woman. I thought the word "submission" meant he could say whatever he wanted and I had to listen…and to obey without question...that he could order me around like a slave…that my opinion did not count. That did not sit well for I had a mind of my own. In those days many of the men had a wrong interpretation of the word submission, which did not help me. For years I saw husbands lording it over their wives, and the woman meekly submitting to what the husband considered his "right to authority". In one way I admired the wives for what I thought was their Christian duty, but secretly I thought they were weak, timid and unassertive. I struggled daily and lost the battle daily. But as I grew in grace and knowledge I learned that husbands and wives are to submit to one another…that we are important to our husband’s and children’s well being. My opinions were valued and respected. After all we are mentioned in the fifth commandment (honour your mother and father). I began to realize my job as mother and as helpmeet to my husband was a significant one. It wasn’t a matter of slave master relationship I had thought it to be. I learned my husband had the obligation to love me as Jesus loved the church…to give his life for me if need be. (The church represents the woman, the bride of Christ.) I also knew it would take him a lifetime of learning to be the husband God wanted him to be. I too needed a lifetime of learning to become the woman God wanted me to be. When I realized God’s great love for me, that His Son died for me and with the aid of his holy spirit I could learn to live a life of giving, loving and sharing, I quit stumbling over the word submission. I learned we all are to love our neighbour as ourselves. It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. Loving another human being as you love yourself leaves no room for any type of oppression or any lording over another, whether it be because of gender, class, race, age or infirmity. Loving someone means defending another’s rights as you would defend your own. I also discovered that spiritually we are equal in God’s eyes. " For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:27-29). I learned my role as woman was important to God and to Christ who died for me. In the Old Testament God reveals over and over how much he loves Israel, what he considers to be his bride. (Read Ezekiel 16:4-13)Even a cursory study of the attitude Jesus had for the women in his life here on earth will reveal, not condescension or apathy, but respect, love, in equal measure to their male counterparts. I was pleasantly surprised at my research of Jesus and his attitude and actions toward women. Women were never inferior in the sight of God, but in the primitive, ignorant, and oppressive view of a male-dominated world. The manner Jesus dealt with the women of his day gives undeniable evidence that the oppressive treatment of women needed to end. When Jesus came he nullified many centuries of oppressive Jewish law and customs. He clearly treated women and men as equals. He consistently violated the rules, concerning women, of the three major Jewish religious groups of the day: the Essenes, Pharisees, and Sadducees; probably one of the very reasons they demanded his crucifixion. The treatment of women by Jesus was nothing short of radical for his day. Women are made in the image of God just like man was. Yes, we have our unique role which is different from our husband’s but we should find contentment and satisfaction from fulfilling that responsibility. And besides marriage is the perfect place for both partners to learn lessons of faithfulness, loyalty, love, reliability, compassion, give and take. There are just so many scriptures giving man and womankind encouragement and hope. "To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children" (Revelation 21:6, 7). Yes, in the world tomorrow every woman will be given the love and respect, status, and regard she deserves and she will feel contented being a woman.
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