OrthodoxyOrDeath wrote:It is true that woman covering their head is no longer socially acceptable (as it was only a few years ago and all the ages before that).
It is true that beating ones wife is no longer socially acceptable (as it was only a few years ago and all the ages before that).... 
----------------------------------------------------
They say that I am bad news. They say "Stay Away."
Dear Tom,
I just read your thoughts on St. Paul. There is a very good book on St. Paul's writings called "St. John Chrysostom---On Marriage and family." It is a book of collected homilies. It is about the married but includes other topics as well.
St.Paul's writings on marriage shed light on how he views women, which is with the very highest regard. St Paul writes, through divine inspiration, that a husband must love his wife like Christ loves the Church and adds that Christ laid down His life for the Church. Do these words sound like the words of a man who dislikes women? This is one example.
Another thought on this is a writing by Saint Paulinus of Nila who wrote," The apostle's authority has allowed only women to have long hair, for though their faith like that of men removes the veil from their hearts, fitting modestly demands a covering for their heads and a veil for their brows...Hair is unbecoming for men because Christ, the Head of every man, cannot be concealed....She is no one's head, but the embellishment of her husband by the adornment of her virtue. We might say that she is placed at the base to support that body's which is linked to God by the head of Christ, to Christ by the head of man, and to man by the head of woman. But Christ makes also women belong to the head at the top by making her part of the body and of the structure of the limbs, for in Christ we are neither male nor female[Gal.3:28]....let them realize why St. Paul ordered their heads to be clothed by a more abundant covering: it is because of the angels,[1 Cor.11:10] that is, the angels who are ready to seduce them
and whom the saints will condemn.....A woman ought to cover her head especially in prayer and prophesy. Then she becomes pregnant with the Spirit, and accordingly rouses the hatred of the tempter all the more when she leaves behind the boundaries of her womanly weakness, and aspires to human perfection....so because a woman becomes spiritually pregnant she has a power over her head, so that the wiles and the snares of the enemy may not confront her. Her hair shows that by this power she is both guided and defended, strength is bestowed on her by that very humility of heart by which through the guidance of self-control she restrains the arrogance of knowledge."
It is the feminist movement that has caused statements like St. Paul's to be challenged. How can his words fit into a society where women are told that they need to "be equal" to man? Obviously people with this agenda do not know that women are equal to man. Both sexes have different characteristics and are intended to complement the other.Today's society respects women who are career oriented, competitive, forward, and dynamite in appearance, to name a few. Women who are "submissive",stay at home, do not have a career and not up with the fashions are looked upon as down-trodden and backwards. Women are challenged to fight men to prove they are equal, which causes much disdain towards them. The women lose their pride and it becomes very hard to strive for humility in such a situation.
It is an honor for us to serve our husbands and know that in return he loves and cares for us. I think that people hear the word "serve" and they think of slavery, beatings and emotional abuse. A man who treats a woman in such a way is being sinful. Being at home and making it a pleasant place for our family, whether you are a wife or daughter, should cause us joy. All work is for Christ. If we work outside the home we can show the men we work with respect. In this way we can truly act to one another as St. Paul commands. Not because we are less than these men, but because we have a different role to fulfill. I am not advocating being walked on and ridiculed, just simply behaving as one should as an Orthodox Christian. If a man treats you disrespectfully in disdain because he sees how you are choosing to respect him......what do we Orthodox do? We pour hot coals on their heads by being kind. If we have strength to suffer then we should do our best and pray for our offender.
There is a bible passage where Jesus talks to a woman who is begging a blessing form Him and he says something to the effect that His blessings are not for dogs. Many people use this verse to say how cruel poorly he thought of women. They also use the verse where the Theotokos asks Him to change water to wine and He says something like ..What is this between you and me woman?...We Orthodox know that Christ did not use these phrases because he disdained women. We know this because we have The Church,who placed these texts into Holy Scripture,to interpret them. We can rely on the church to tell us what these verses mean and not worry about what secular scientific books say about them. In The Orthodox Church submission to men is not an bad thing. It is in the world because they have corrupted it.
Please forgive me if I have offended you. I saw that you were defending women and I wanted you to know that I am very glad that you are. It is good to have men who are respectful of women these days.
In Christ,
Matushka Christina
Dear Matushka Christina,
You do not offend me at all! I have absolutely no problems when people disagree with me. Although I may put my points across fairly strongly -- That is because that is the way I have found that illicits responses and debates on subjects.
Concerning St. Paul. I don't think it's an issue of whether he "hates" women. I think it is more of an issue that he is a man writing from a period in time when men saw women as second class citizens. And as you know, in that Saul was a very devout Jew -- he brought some of the teachings concerning women's "uncleaness" and "blame for the corruption of Man" with him. You know -- my "baggage" post.
----------------------------------------------------
They say that I am bad news. They say "Stay Away."
Dear Miriam,
Please forgive me if I offended you. I was not refering to you in any way.I wrote that post a year ago and the "feminist" I was refering to was the movement in American culture of which I was raised in. I was also very much influenced by the organization N.O.W. while I was growing up.Until I was a Christian I was not aware there was any other view.
It has been outspoken women who have supported the church many times. One time that stands out in my memory is during the iconoclastic period where young and old women alike spoke out against the heresy
even unto death. There are too many others to mention!
In Christ,
Matushka Christina
As I understand this, the woman, i.e. the mother plays are very strong role in the current Jewish family. She is the matriarch, not a second-class citizen. What damned nonsense to suggest that the Holy Apostle spoke from a Jewish masculine perspective. He spoke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
) and reading. This will be one of them, thank you Matuska Christiana.