by cyranorox » June 15th, 2008, 12:28 am
rus, every time i see your tagline i think of quadratic equations, and problems for which the answer is iherently multiple.
I think you missed my point, then went on to elaborate it as if you were contradicting me. As persons, men and women are equal in Christ. What that means is somewhat myseterious, and neither side should presume to press that claim without charity.
As spouses, there is a difference of role, and should be. Any woman who marries in the OC accepts a submission to one man; not a subordination to men. Any man who marries in the OC is head of his wife, not ahead of women. This shows up most clearly as spouses encounter others of opposite sex: Mrs Jones owes no submission to her brother in law, brother, or any such relations.
Similarly, the absolute authority of a father, as the Roman world thought of it, is transformed to duty and synergy - for no one ought to think that a father or husband does right to wantonly impose his will on his adult child or wife. To a degree, the husband is to his wife as the Patriarch to any bishop - first among equals. He may settle disputes by authority, occasionally -But a good king sees that his people prosper, so he cannot suppress or override the wife's will regularly without impoverishing her life.
the Matrix is delibarately constructed out of literalizations of theological and philosophical ideas, which accounts for my ongoing interest.
Ben, TSE is thinking about class there - these "low" people and their cheap lives. unsexy sex, absence of affection or charity, his use of her, is the main sinfulness here.
The OC does not think that fertility is the only purpose of sex: the ideal couple is Joachim and Anna, parents of Mary, who were obviously sexually active long after her natural fertility was extinct. Sarah and Abraham, too, were active without any natural continuation of fertility - that's what made Sarah laugh. Couples who know their mutual fertility is lost for age, health or injury are still eligible to marry, and their marriages are not of a lesser sort, though they miss out on the blessing of children.
fertility is a great good, and children are the best blessing of God, but we must not think fertility is the only true end of every marriage.