Friday, August 12, 2011

Male headship and Mme President


Byron York’s question to Bachmann raises an interesting conundrum. Apparently her husband was responsible for pushing her into having a career outside the home.

What if a husband is ambitious for his wife? What if he pushes her to move up the social ladder? To occupy positions in the public or private sector where she outranks many men? Indeed, where she is, in some sense, her husband’s boss?

What’s the submissive thing for a wife to do in that situation? Is she insubordinate if she disobeys? Or is she insubordinate if she obeys–thereby relegating her husband to a role subordinate to herself?

If submission to the husband’s wishes promotes the wife by demoting the husband, which response is insubordinate? 

4 comments:

  1. I didn't seek Bachmann's answer to the submission question in context so the following may need adjustment, but the soundbite from Bachmann that Fox News ran seemed to be a bit off the mark. Bachmann appeared to equate submission with respect. One should respect those we submit too, but submission is more than just respect. Additionally in this post you asked some important questions that every couple would be wise to consider as they pray about each decision they make regarding the wife's pursuits with scripture as the arbiter conjoined with wise counsel from other godly people. And the husband must lead the as a follower of Christ in submission to His word. A key would be to make each decision along the way one based on God's word.

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  2. I wish Hillary Clinton was available to ask that question?

    Her response might just surprise us! :)

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  3. This was the question:

    YORK: All right. Thank you, Mr. Cain.
    Next, we’re going to go to Representative Bachmann.
    In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, “But the Lord said, ‘Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.’”
    As president, would you be submissive to your husband?

    http://foxnewsinsider.com/2011/08/12/full-transcript-complete-text-of-the-iowa-republican-debate-on-fox-news-channel/#1_undefined,0_

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  4. I would say the answer is quite simple - wifely submission is not a licence to disobey the teaching of God's Word.

    A trickier question is for those men who are asked to work for Mme President. Is a man sinning by accepting a job where his boss is a woman? Is the proper application of the biblical prohibition also that men should not enable/facilitate the upturning of the created order?

    I'd say yes, but that this does not necessarily mean a man should not work for a woman boss.

    In addition to the example of the Ethiopian eunuch who served queen Candace we have other biblical commands such as to provide for ones family etc, and if the only job going was to work for a woman boss then even though it would be awkward the higher call is surely to provide for ones family?

    Really the fault lies with the woman who takes the office and forces men into a position where they have to go against the created order in order to earn a living. I'm sure someone clever can think of some good examples of this principle.

    One question I face with my summer job as a delivery driver is whether it is wrong for me to deliver cigarettes and porn mags to customers? If so then a Christian cannot work as a delivery driver for most jobs or as a cashier in any supermarket in the UK.

    Does anyone have any articles that address this basic question that the average working Christian faces daily?

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