Monday, August 2, 2010

A Throwback to Antiquity?

Or is this the way it should be?



I'm struggling with this video. It was posted on another blog by another Catholic blogger. It has intentions that are respectable, but at the same time there is something very, oh how shall I put it, sectish or fundamentalist/ evangelical about it. The lady in the video speaks about a program she has put together called "Completing Him." Supposedly, this program, or "challenge" as she puts it, assists or offers guidance to wives who want to be more supportive of their husbands. Sounds okay so far, right? Right. But then she makes a comment that modern-day society would rise in opposition to: "our husbands are our leaders." Before making that statement, she makes several scriptural references that reinforce an exclusive male domination over members of the immediate family.

Yes, there are several passages in Scripture that give authority to the man, placing his spouse and his children in a subservient capacity. But haven't the most orthodox of Catholics and Protestant practitioners abandoned a male-centric power structure for a more progressive power-sharing arrangement when it comes to marriage? How many of you ladies out there would feel comfortable with the statement "our husbands are our leaders" or any other arrangement that gave the men in your lives exclusive veto power over what could or could not be done?

What about a video training men how they can be more supportive of their wives, but also asking those same men to allow their wives to be the leaders? How would that go down?


What I hate About this Post

Does this post not sound politically correct? You have no idea how loathsome and superficial I find it being politically correct. It's a type of behavior that is driven by the politics of saying anything (or not speaking the truth truthfully) for the sake of capturing the populous vote.

11 comments:

Shirley said...

Interesting. I think this woman totally is off the mark as far as marriage goes; it's not all about what you can be to or for your husband (or wife for you men) but about how,when you put God first in all things you do, everything else falls into place. This video seems as if it's taking scripture and using it to make a point for the sake of getting a reaction, and for personal glory.

Terry Nelson said...

I think this is a growing trend... especially amongst trads.

Katie Alender said...

I find this ooky. It's one thing to devote yourself to your marriage and your spouse. It's another thing to make an internet game out of it.

It feels prideful to me.

My marriage and my husband are on a pedestal in my life; nothing else comes close. I try to help my husband and be there for him, just as he helps me and is there for me. There are parts of our life where he takes the lead, and parts where I take the lead. In some of those areas, it does feel very old-school, and we like it that way.

But this whole "happy housewife" movement feels like window dressing to me. And I'm a happy housewife, so I can say that!

Tom in Vegas said...

Shirley-

I agree. She's definitely off the mark. She may have good intentions, but her rationale doesn't contain much reasoning.

Terry-

When I wrote that Catholics have adopted a more progressive power-sharing arrangement, in my mind I said "except for those ultra-trads." Case-in-point: I had a piano teacher who felt she had to obtain permission from her husband to do just about anything. She wouldn't leave the house or make any type of purchases without his O.K. She was very traditional, but her husband was a despicable man. He wasn't Catholic, but he enjoyed the position her traditionalist beliefs put him in. They divorced about eight years ago. I could see it coming long before they did.

Katie-

"There are parts of our life where he takes the lead, and parts where I take the lead."

I could not have said it better myself. This is how I would describe (in part) a healthy relationship. You take the lead/ he takes the lead in certain situations. And it just happens naturally.

Las Vegas Mama said...

There is nothing wrong with what she is saying. More women could stand to be supportive of their men, seriously. It doesn't sound like she is saying to be subservient! It sounds like she is saying we should respect and support our husbands and be the wife that he needs. Nothing wrong there. More women should be help mates. It might make for happier marriages!

X said...

She didn't say anything of substance. She threw some quotes around and talked about work schedules but other than that it was a lot of hand waving and babbling. Is she really Catholic??She sounded like Michelle Duggar on speed.

X said...

She's not Catholic. She goes to Maranatha Bible Church in Akron, Ohio. I knew she couldn't be Catholic. Heck, even Scott and Kim Hahn don't talk like this!

Tom in Vegas said...

Angela-

Nope. Definitely not Catholic. As I stated, her intentions are good, but the justification are a bit anachronistic. I'm not saying that modernity's answer is the right one when it comes to this subject matter or any other. But when it comes to this topic, which is to say marriage, 50/50 is the healthiest and most conducive approach. That balance is different for each couple and without exactitude.

X said...

I think 100/100 in marriage works better (insert grin here.)

X said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
X said...

I just spent the last 15 minutes on her church website. They have so many ministries to address every conceivable thing - women, men, kids, elders, even a motorcycle ministry! I wish my parish cared that much about others. However, when you read the bios of the church leaders and staff they all start to sound alike. Everything is very cookie cutter and Stepford wife-ish. There is even a youtube video about Stepford wives by the same women who did the video you featured. I think they are all very sincere in their beliefs but I prefer my multi-cultural, liturgical and Eucharistic centred parish. And I am really glad we don't take the account of Creation in Genesis literally. I am glad Catholics believe in creative evolution.