And while organised religion has evolved since its brutish origins, the church has not shed all of its misguided ways. Male interpretations of religious texts have been used to justify some of the most persistent and pervasive human rights abuses. Patriarchal religious doctrines have been used for centuries as reason to deprive women of their individual freedoms, and we must never forget. His message is dangerous not only because it objectifies women, but also because it lays the foundation for the subjugation of women. Our leaders need to consider the way in which their language socialises impressionable young girls and boys, who are trying to negotiate gender relationships in their youth. Our leaders need to start using language to affirm the value of men and women and their equal standing in the eyes of God to affirm the individuality of every man and woman. He says you wash her with the word, and then you remove every spot, every wrinkle, every blemish and then present her to yourself. He said about his wife, he said husband love your wife like I love my wife. Speaking about Jesus’ relationship to his wife, Dr Munroe said: “Jesus Christ is a real man, a real man. And while the message is gendered in Dr Munroe’s context, it has broader meaning in the context of healthy relationships, because the same doctrine applied in reverse creates the same conditions for abuse. These are the conditions that foster relationships of power and control, the foundation of all abuse.
Such is the conditioning that occurs in abusive relationships, where men tell their women what clothes to wear, how to style their hair, the friends they can maintain and the places they can go. Not only is Dr Munroe explicit in referring to a wife as a product of her husband, he says men are entitled by divine decree to create the women they want. When are we going to move away from following doctrines that make women objects in a man’s world. So if you have been married for 20 years and you still don’t like the product you get, that is your fault,” said Dr Munroe. Your job is to take the raw material you married and cultivate her into the woman in your head. The woman you are looking for, brother, does not exist. “The male was created by God to create what he wants. That is why God will never give a man a finished woman. Cultivate means to bring out the best in everything around you, to maximise the potential of everything around you, to make everything fruitful. In the words of Dr Munroe: “The third thing God told the man - Genesis 2:15 - is cultivate. I was not completely alone, although certainly in the minority, for there were a handful of dissenting voices amongst the faithful flock who thought the message was outright offensive.ĭr Munroe’s sermon speaks to the story of Adam and Eve, the first marriage in history, according to the Christian creation story, and shares lessons on the role of men and women in relationships. I was completely perplexed by these responses, because the same sermon that brought these women to a spiritual orgasm made me want to go out gunning to slay the wolf. She said it was so “absolutely wonderful” the mighty word had to get out. I can’t wait to show this to my sons.” And yet another called for the message to be played on a “bull horn”. One woman declared the message to be “profound and powerful!!”. I watched the video because it was shared by a close friend, even though the online group “Meeting In The Ladies Room” posted it with a message stating: “All Ladies Regardless Of Marital Status Should Watch This!”Īfter watching the sermon the first, second, third and fourth time, with an open mind, I still could not bring myself to understand, why and how so many women were giving it rave reviews.
A sermon delivered by Dr Myles Munroe, president and founder of the Bahamas Faith Ministries International (BFMI), has been making its way around the social sphere generating a lot of debate.