We Do Not Respect Women
Worst Offenders – Men Who Call Themselves Christian
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”
~ Matthew 24:24 ~
“On Monday’s broadcast of Robertson’s television show ‘The 700 Club,’ he answered a question from a viewer named Michael about how to repair his marriage to a woman who “has no respect for me as the head of the house.”
Robertson’s response: “Well, you could become a Muslim and you could beat her. I don’t think we condone wife-beating these days but something has got to be done to make her.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/pat-robertson-become-muslim-to-beat-your-wife_n_1873142.html
“Tampa area mother and daughter suicide pact: Pair rescued from fire, ex-husband beat woman, cops say” Read more:
Of late, the news has been dominated by stories of sexual sadist who imprison women, rape children, and sell young girls into slavery, to become prostitutes. Our lack of respect for women is so well documented that I cannot imagine anyone disagreeing with the first line, of the title, of this article. The second line – well we shall see.
I do not normally vent on facebook, a place which I now consider America’s corner diner or front porch, where neighborhood gossip is exchanged and we chit-chat about the latest news; along with wishing each other a Happy Birthday, share pictures, and ask for prayer. However, I do read what my family and friends post on facebook. I have been waiting to see what those, whom I know claim to be Christians, would say about Pat Robertson’ latest statement regarding women and men who profess to be Christians – I urge you to hear him for yourself. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/pat-robertson-cheating-husband-wife-marriage_n_3281416.html?utm_hp_ref=religion .
Highlights: “Here’s the secret: stop talking the cheating. He cheated on you, well, he’s a man. Does he provide a home for you to live in? Does he provide food for you to eat? Does he provide clothes for you to wear? Is he nice to the children? Is he handsome? Recognize also, like it or not, males have a tendency to wander a little bit. What you want to do is make a home so wonderful that he doesn’t want to wander.”
Previously, Robertson has stated: ‘awful-looking’ women can be to blame for certain marital problems . . . A woman came to a preacher that I know, and she was awful looking. I mean, her hair was all torn up and she was overweight and looked terrible, clothes bad and everything. And she said, ‘Oh, Reverend, what can I do? My husband has started to drink.’ And the preacher looked at her and said, ‘Madam, if I was married to you I’d start to drink too. We need to cultivate romance, darling! … You always have to keep that spark of love alive. It just isn’t something to just lie there, ‘Well, I’m married to him so he’s got to take me slatternly looking.’ You’ve got to fix yourself up, look pretty.”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/15/pat-robertson-blames-awful-looking-women-marriage-problems_n_2479459.html
Listening to this left me wondering . . . does Robertson think that it is okay for Hal Lindsey to be on his fourth marriage, or for John Hagee to have slept with one of his parishioners, whom he then divorced his wife to marry, or for Benny Hinn who divorced and then remarried his wife, while being photographed in Rome with Paula White coming out of a hotel, to still be standing in a pulpit or in front of a television screen on TBN? What about Charles Stanley and his wife to have divorced under mysterious conditions; and let us not forget Jimmy Swaggart and his prostitutes, and all of those other “men of God” to have followed suit, because their wives somehow dropped the ball? I am tired of the hypocrisy in my church.
If none of the above mentioned men are familiar to you, then you are probably taking Mr. Robertson’s diabolic rants better than I am – the men are well known ministers, from various Christian denominations; and all men who have betrayed the God they claim to serve, as well as every Christian who has ever listened to them preach, teach, or pontificate.
Christians have been bullied into surrendering their pulpits to hypocrites, just like the rest of the world. Our belief systems have been hijacked by corrupt individuals who claim to represent a larger ideal, yet fall remarkably short. I certainly cannot be the only person, in the world, who knows Muslims that would never consider lifting a finger to their wife or engaging in some other atrocity; nor do I believe that all teachers are sleeping with their students, or that all police take bribes or that all of our politicians are crooks, or that all those who stand in pulpits have nothing but disdain for the Word of God. But I do believe that an endemic lack of respect, for women, has led us to a society where women and girls are regularly forced to endure what should be unimaginable, but is instead common place. As long as we are taking our lead from men like Pat Robertson, what else can we expect?
How many men do you think have listened to the likes of Pat Robertson to find justification for their behavior? How does Mr. Robertson explain that seventy percent “of Christian men admit to struggling with pornography in their daily lives, 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women admitted to an addiction to pornography, 55% of pastors admitted to visiting a pornographic site, and 53% of Promise Keepers’ men surveyed admitted to using pornography in the last week.” http://www.mind-armor.com/staggering-statistics Are these statistics due to the fact women are simply “awful looking”? Or have Christians simply concluded that Christ is not sufficient to keep men from their “tendency to wander a little bit”?
I believe in grace and forgiveness; but I am tired of excuses. There is no bigger abuser of women than religion, not God, but religion. How can Pat Robertson believe that Christ was raised from the dead, but not believe that men can be faithful or garner their wives respect without beating them?
We live in a society where women are brutalized because they are objectified; and sadly the people who should have the most power to change this do nothing. Christians believe that they must keep the sin, in the church, a secret; we have been duped into believing that exposing pedophilia priest will reflect poorly on Christ and the deacon who beats and rapes his wife should be forgiven, but certainly not forced to go before his brethren and confess his sin. (James 5:16) Every Christian who remains silent, refusing to force accountability from such people as Pat Robertson, is partnered in his sin.
Atrocity after atrocity lead the evening news, how are we supposed to deal with Nancy Lowe, who after having endured yet another beating by her ex-husband, James Clark, decided that she and her 12 year old daughter would end their life in a suicide pact? The child borrowed the gasoline, which was used to start a fire, in their home. The mother and daughter were rescued by watchful neighbors, who saw the smoke.
Unquestionably, Ms. Lowe is guilty of child abuse for having made such a pact with her child; and I feel rather certain she will be forced to account for her actions, and rightly so. However, we must ask ourselves how desperate does a mother have to be to want to kill herself and her child? Where was Nancy’s support system? Did Nancy happen to listen to someone like Pat Robertson and feel such utter hopelessness that death seemed her only option?
“But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” ~ Matthew 3: 7-10 ~
That is all for now.
