🚀 go-pugleaf

--The recent change in the  (Southern) Baptist Faith and Message
regarding women submitting to their husbands and disciplining of
children could have
serious repercussions on children of already dysfunctional  Baptist
families.
--The Southern Baptist Convention has oversimplified spousal power
struggles by the changes they  have made to their Baptist Faith and
Message.  Baptist pastoral support for wives  to honestly and
vigorously  communicate their own views in the marriage will decrease
with this renewed emphasis on wifely submission and on the husband as
God's spokesman in the home. 
--Any time forthright communication shuts down, problems in
relationships get hidden. 
--In this case, when the more timid "good Baptist wife" (of which there
are many) feels that the Bible stops her from talking openly to her
husband, her friends, or even her pastor  about family matters upon
which her  husband disagrees with her (she is to "submit graciously"),
she may well turn to her children as her only allies. 
--Children pay the greatest emotional price when parents use their
children as pawns in family power games. Make no mistake about it, when
vigorous parental  communication is blocked by giving the message that
only one parent hears the voice of God regarding family matters, the
children will become pawns of one or both parents; ultimately, the
children will get blamed for acting out their painfully felt distress in
families  where parents use the kids to win the battles.  With the
renewed emphasis upon disciplining the children, the children will be
easily scapegoated. 
--For all but the healthiest families, the newest additions to the
Baptist Faith and Message will result in more dishonest, more
manipulative parents, and emotionally sicker children.

C.S. Mills
chmills@flash.net