Reading through the following on Twitter today just broke my heart. Ideas have consequences.
If the consequences of our beliefs and ideas are abuse of the weak and powerless….subjugation of others…dysfunction in family, work, and church…then, we need to evaluate (and change!) our ideas and beliefs by the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I have more (much more) to say about this, but for today I want to share a thread by my friend Prudy Ray with his permission. His story moves my heart. He says it far better than I can narrate it.
You may wonder why I do many of the things I do. It’s because the Church must SEE. The Church must HEAR. The Church must STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING. Thank you @PrudyRay for speaking up!
“Y’all have no idea how things go in my country. You’d be baffled, the husbands beat the wives and the wives think it’s normal. Some fathers because of arranged marriage, tell their daughters to endure the beatings and suffering for the sake of society. Some church pastors know the sufferings of these women and yet be silent on these matters. The usual advice would be “wives submit” some women endure and by God’s grace the husbands will change (like how my dad has changed) but some still go through the suffering, they don’t even know they’re being abused, they don’t even know they have so much value and worth in them because they’re made in the image of God. When the wives find out the husband committed adultery the usual response would be “he’s a man” he gets a pass and the wife still has to live with him. But if a women does the same it’s abominable and she will be looked down by the whole society.
Daughters are considered a burden, my mom was told to stop studying, she wanted to be a lawyer and fight for justice. But the usual response is “what are women gonna do after studying, they’ll just stay at home, they don’t need to study” ofc my mom didn’t get to study after high school. Most Christian women go to church crying, with heavy hearts. When men get drunk and beat their wives the response would be “he’s a man, you have to endure” and literally give a pass to men. Rarely do they get confronted about the abuse. It’s pretty normal, the neighbours just watch and hear, they won’t say a word and don’t get involved in the situation. The only comfort for these Christian women is church, they don’t even say sometimes what kind of suffering and abuse they go through. But most of the sermons are focused on how you’re wearing clothes, if you’re late to church you’re not pious enough, tithing.
Last year around this time, I have a friend who is old, he took me to a prayer meeting, he had to preach there. There were 2 men if I recall correctly, but around 25 women, they don’t know theology, doctrines of graces, some of them can’t read, but they were fasting, they had no musical instruments, but they sang beautifully, their prayers were very repetitive, but they were the most wonderful prayers that I’ve heard. They knew Christ even though they didn’t know theology. They showed it in actions. But most of their fasting prayers would be for their husbands to change, and their sufferings. This is only in Christian circles, there’s so much abuse that goes on here and women don’t even know it’s abuse. Yes, there are some pastors who truly care for them and rebuke the beating of wives, but majority of them are focused on mint and cumin like Christ says, they ignore the weightier matters. Even though my mom, sister and I have endured the abusive moments. No one should be told that they have to just suck it up and pray and repent for being abused. That’s not the gospel.
My request for the Christians: please don’t enable men to be more abusive, we already have enough abuse even without the so called “biblical manhood”. Please don’t bring this patriarchal garbage into my country. It will only make women suffer more.”
Ideas have consequences. If the consequences of our beliefs and ideas are wounding others then, we need to evaluate our ideas and beliefs by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We cannot justify these beliefs and ideas because a few don’t abuse them. We cannot “Christianify” a pagan practice without consequences. There are too many who are suffering from them. This makes any argument, theory, or reason FOR them a proud and lofty thing set up against the true knowledge of God. We must be obedient to the Word of God, not to traditions of mankind. Again the Bible says best:
“[Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One),” 2 Corinthians? ?10?:?5? ?AMPC
Ideas have consequences. Those that are contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, need to be recognized, taken as captives, and led away to the foot of the cross.
Grab a big cup of tea and join me at Twitter. I am showing up there daily. Follow me and connect with me there! https://twitter.com/cindyrushton
