We have recently been looking into the Orthodox church and exploring its teachings. Obviously, one of the first things I wanted to know about was how they view marriage. At first I was a little concerned because I saw many of the same Bible verses that had been so often drilled into my head. But upon further reading, I found a much larger emphasis on male humility, service, and gentleness. I also found this quote, much to my surprise:
"It should be said that these roles are not exclusive: there are times when it is appropriate for a wife to show strength, or for a husband to be obedient to his wife. In the most mature, highly developed and spiritual marriages, the relationship of a man and woman evolve into one of mutual obedience."
You can read the full article here; I'm sure you'll agree with me that the tenor of the article is quite different than a female-subordinating one.
Recently I was discussing the Milestone situation with an Orthodox male friend (there is no fear of gender mixing that I have noticed) and he got a disgusted look upon his face, snorted and said, "Real men are gentle and humble. All the really strong men I know are both of those things." We went on talking and he began excitedly talking about what the church ought to teach men to be like, what they ought to be doing and how they ought to be acting. He didn't have much patience for a group of men who need to lord their power over others.
I think of this quote from another orthodox web site: “A wife should respect her husband even if he shows her no love, and a husband should love his wife even when she shows him no respect.”
This is the sort of thing that my husband and I were trying to point out at Milestone when we were so unceremoniously silenced and ostracized. We tried to point out that mutual submission is the biblical standard. It seems odd to me now that anyone would argue with this. Even more so it seems odder that someone would find any useful reason to do so other than downright control.
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