Should wives be subject to their husbands?

Like obedient? No.

Subject to their husband’s what?

I think that depends on the couple, actually. Some of them believe it is their religious duty. Some don’t have that kind of religion going on.

Subject to their husband’s authoriity, whim.

Rick warren and other conservative Christians as well as Muslims think so.

There are a lot of husbands and wives that are not conservative Christians or Muslim. I doubt that they would take Warren or his ilk very seriously.

@laureth: count me among them

No, I do not believe that wives should be subject to their husband’s authority. The Baha’i’ Faith actually has a very enlightened stance on the equality between the sexes.

Gimme has an even more enlightened view: the man should do everything his/her wife tells him/her. He should voluntarily spit shine shoes, have dinner waiting on the table, have full responsibility for maintaining the home to his wife’s standards, and should bow to her every whim. The whole of marriage vows exist to let the man know where he stands.

My use if him/her is intentional, don’t want to leave out any alternative lifestyle couples who assume gender roles.

@Gimme, you are my hero, but you already knew that.

The only thing I’m subject to, are my husbands moods – and he to mine. He is no more or less authoritative in this marriage than I. As for whims; we may both go on off a whom sometimes, but it’s together and for fun. As for Rick Warren, he can kiss my patooty.

I think it is better to have both people walking the same path rather than one bowing to another. Who really wants to spend their life being told what to do by someone else anyway?

2000 years ago? Sure.

Now? No.

She’d hurt me if I tried to make her subject to me…..I’m still working on the cat….don’t think I’ll get up to big things like the wife during this lifetime :-)

I do believe that wives should be a subject that husbands study. Yes. Why do you ask?~

I was about to ask a question like this. Like why is it that women are still the ones who are supposed to cook and clean (not saying that it applies to all, but I think a lot) for their husband/family?

there is more to this…right before the passage begins in the bible it says that wives and husbands should be in mutual submission, and then it says that wives should submit to their husbands AND husbands should love their wives like Christ loved the church…which is sacrificially. So if this is working perfectly, then it would be easy to submit to your husband because he has your best interest in mind.

Does it mean you can’t discuss things, absolutely not, but your husband should have final authority on some things…and if you don’t believe the bible then this wouldn’t make sense.

I didn’t get married for any religious reasons. I entered an equal partnership and commitment. We contribute equally and are equally worthy and empowered to make decisions. Neither is a servant of the other.

Me want wife subject when me gets off viking hunt trip. It hard out there for viking. Woman get home stay, cook, clean. No hunt, no fish. She subject!

Absolutely not!

No. If I want to be a subject, I’ll marry Prince William, thank you very much.

Ooh, now that might not be a bad idea…

I must agree with googlybear…. Exept that my cat is damn headstrong as well….

No. And I can’t imagine marrying any woman who would be willing to “be subject to me.”

I think the most important thing in a relationship is mutual respect, and for me that excludes either one from dominating the relationship. Sure, we have different spehres of influences, but I belive all in all it all evens out…. To have one person beeing a subject to the other is so far from my mind I dont really can imagine it really…

I dunno, if we are talking religion, it was always my understanding that yes she should be, but he also should not ignore her desires and wants. So really it goes both ways. So not speaking religiously, I think the woman isn’t required to be subject.
I think this whole idea comes from more traditional times when the man was always the bread winner and his career and success was vital so of course the man was the head of the house back then. That is not true in todays world. But for any relationship to work both partners need to want to do whats best for the other.

Maybe at one time in history when the man was the breadwinner, but today it is a Anachronism, wich the conservatives still cling to IMHO.

Back the truck up!!

I have authority?!?!

Honey! This guy Rick Warren says that…

HIIY YAAA! WHACK! THWAK! SMAK! THUMPA THUMPA!

mm, apprntlee iyee dnt hv ny thrtii. srry fr mntnng it.*

*Hmm, apparently I don’t have any authority. Sorry for mentioning it.

Like I said, it doesn’t make sense if you don’t believe the bible.

I think its fair to say that in most situations the bible really doesn’t make sense. I was watching this thing the other day about the birth of the bible and what it was really ment for. I liked the explanation that the bible was created to tell a stories with a moral objective.

Take out of it what works for you, if it doesn’t serve you then leave it behind.

I don’t think it is fair at all to say that…fair would be respecting each person’s opinion and in that case you are not respecting mine. It might be better if you say that in your opinion the bible doesn’t make sense…but in my opinion it makes complete sense.

It sounds like coffeechick is saying that she doesn’t think the Bible makes sense, but that anyone who wants to can follow it if that’s what works for them.

How does that not respect your opinion, Miasmom?

That’s not what it sounded like to me, it sounded like she was saying that it is fair to say that the bible doesn’t make sense to anyone. Just what I read from her comment.

Uh, hell no! Because he’s got a dick, he’s somehow better than me? Like I would have anything to do with some moron who thought he could boss me around, anyway!

I ment that if it makes sence to you, then go for it. I never have and never will tell anyone that they are not entitled to what they believe. I was going for the point that most people that I hang out with don’t agree with some and/or most of the tennants of the bible and I respect that. I don’t think that anyone deserves to go to hell for what they choose to believe or not believe.

I know alot about religion and the bible (cause I live in salt lake city, and no matter where you go its always a topic of discussion) And I think that alot of the principles are a little out of date, but does that mean that I think you shouldn’t believe in it either?

I say if it works for you, then it works for you…

There is a passage of scripture that said husbands love your wives and wives respect your husbands. I read a book that said that the number one thing that men need from their wives is to be respected, which can go hand in hand with some degree of submission. But it also said that women need to be prized/valued and loved and that meants that the husband should be treating his wife well. Its give and take. If your husband is not loving his wife, then he shouldn’t expect respect and submission to any degree, but if he is treating her as he should, than the women should try to respect him and not put him down in front of others. I don’t think woman should blindly take their husband’s word as fact…i think that questioning his decisions (in private) is acceptable, afterall you are partners and are in this together…right?