Tried With Fire

I wrote this post last year but never published it. Believe me, I would much rather that this issue be properly dealt with in Christian circles, and I never write about domestic abuse again, but that time has not come yet. Until Christians realize the damage we inflict on one another because of the horrible advice we give *, domestic abuse needs to be discussed openly with humility and repentance. Cancer is a horrible disease. While there are many very successful treatments, I know of no absolute cure that can guarantee eradication once and for all. Survivors still undergo regular monitoring in case there is a recurrence. When someone is diagnosed, treatment is initiated quickly because of cancer's propensity to spread. While it is not wrong to hope and pray that a cure will be found, if I was diagnosed, I would accept existing treatment even with its limitations. This doesn't indicate a lack of faith. Rather it is wisdom because I don't know the future. It would be fool...

Trigger warning : Domestic violence and victim/target blaming. I am cautiously optimistic about Jason Meyer's commitment to change how Bethlehem Baptist (John Piper's former church) has handled domestic abuse in the past. I appreciate these statements that he made from the pulpit because abuse and the climate in which it can fester are rarely addressed, if ever, and he seems to "get it." An ethos that does not value women can lead to an environment where sick things slip under the radar. I have heard this statement before—warning, if you want to see me get visibly upset, just say what I am about to say in my presence: “If wives would just submit better and become more meek and quiet, then husbands would not get so angry.” These thoughts must be taken captive, or else we can create a climate in which domestic abuse can take root and grow... However, the dynamics change decidedly in situations of abusive sinfulness. In these situations, the conflict is not treate...