May 27th, 2015

...now browsing by day

 

Disturbing

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

My posts generally try to be upbeat and uplifting while still maintaining Biblical integrity, i.e. not getting into the “God-wants-you-to-believe-your-best-life-is-now” scenario. But I’ve been reading a disturbing book, one that has taken me some discipline to sit down and read because of the subject.

That book? A 1987 (yeah you read that right) book called Counseling for Family Abuse and Violence. I certainly can’t summarize it in this small space…nor do I want to.

What is disturbing me? This: wife beating is a persistent fact of history. Yep, read that again. The cycle has been going on for years. Illustrations:

In Roman life the father had absolute right to sell his children as well as the power of life and death over the child. He had the ultimate position of power over all members of the family.

In Greek life the wife and children were also man’s absolute property. The order was father, cattle, mother, children.

In Jewish life the common phrase was, “I thank God that He made me neither a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Makes you realize how radical Jesus and the early church’s teachings were on “there is neither slave nor free, male nor female.”

During the Renaissance women were routinely subjugated and physically punished.

The medieval church taught the husband had the right, and sometimes the obligation, to beat his wife.

In the Middle Ages physical punishment was sanctioned.

The Protestant Reformation (Calvin, Luther, Knox, etc) was just as stern as their Catholic contemporaries. It was okay to physically discipline her.

That is just in the first chapter!! Let me go on record: there is absolutely no time, no excuse, and no amount of reasoning where physical, mental, or verbal abuse is ever okay. NEVER!! Some might say, “Whew! Least I don’t hit my wife or children!” But there are other kinds of abuse. Abuse, no matter the kind, is wrong…ALWAYS WRONG! I don’t care if someone has had a bad day. I don’t care if someone is extra tired. I don’t care if everything is going wrong.

THERE IS NEVER AN EXCUSE FOR ABUSE OF ANY KIND, SHAPE OR FORM.

It is time the cycle stopped. If you are an abuser, get help. If you are a victim of abuse, get help. If you know of someone being abused, don’t turn a blind eye.

And, of course, this discussion is not done. Not yet.