The Christian Church was in the news this week (newspaper and TV) as part of a series on domestic violence and religion. Domestic violence is of course a horrible scourge on society, and so any reasonable and balanced research into this topic should be welcomed; even if it highlights some uncomfortable truths.
To begin with, the research shows that regular church attenders have a lower likelihood of being perpetrators than the average citizen. This suggests that committed Christians understand that the Bible condemns any form of violence or control – emotional, spiritual, sexual, financial or physical – against one’s spouse.
However, the research also showed that 1 in 5 perpetrators were sporadic attenders of conservative evangelical churches; a sobering fact for us to hear. A common factor among these perpetrators was quoting scripture to their victims to justify their behaviour; the most common being about wives submitting to their husbands.
While the Bible DOES teach male headship, this research shows how easily this doctrine can be twisted and misused. Furthermore, it shows the church may not have handled this potentially dangerous doctrine carefully enough.
As such, can I please reiterate that any husband who CALLS for submission, or attempts to control his wife (e.g. her clothing, finances, movements, friends, body), is in serious breach of the Bible’s mandate of servant leadership. Rather, the Bible demands that husbands willingly give up their rights for the benefit of their wives. For as Eph 5:25 says; ‘Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’.
Brendan McLaughlin
