I don't know why I'm even mad, but I am....

As I was exiting the freeway two days ago, my radio, which was tuned to 89.9, picked up another station's broadcast and I was able to listen in to a Bible study being conducted by what could only be an older protestant male. The verses of the day were Titus 2:3-5. A woman called, asking if these verses, particularly the command for women to "be keepers of the home...so that the word of God will not be blasphemed," mean that women should not work outside the home. He proceeded to inform the caller that a woman's place is of course in the home, and women, of course, bear first and foremost the responsibility of taking care of all household matters and raising the children. Before the invention of modern conveniences like dishwashers, keeping a home was a full-time job. But now that we have a host of modern conveniences, as long as women get their chores done on time, there is no reason they can't also have a job outside of the home.

Those of you who know me are probably able to imagine my reaction.

It's not that I don't fully intend, if and/or when I have children and a household to "keep," to devote my time to raising my children well. I would be completely willing to take time off of my career to be a full-time mother, because my children have one mother and that's me, and who else is going to raise them with as much love as I would? What shocked me about his comment, and I guess i shouldn't be so shocked since apparently he's not alone in his thinking, is that in this world, in 2004, some people still belittle a woman's right to live her life the way she wants. So if I have kids I want to stay home and take care of them for awhile. What if I don't want to have kids? What if I would like to pursue a rewarding career instead? What if my husband wants to wash the dishes?

So I did some searching on the Internet and found an article that managed to irk me even more than the radio guy did:
Click here and be amazed.
Take these choise morsels of wisdom:
In 1870, 13 percent of the women of America worked outside the home. Almost without exception, these were single women working in two fields, secretarial and nursing. By 1970, 40 percent of the women of America worked outside their homes. By 1991, it was 69 percent, and in 1994, it is about 71%. They are no longer single women, but married women and mothers who have children and teenagers at home.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist or brain surgeon to conclude that there is something very wrong with our society. We've all heard the statistics till we've become immune to them: highest divorce rate of any free country in the world, teen pregnancies, 1.5 million abortions a year, only 50% of our children growing up in a nuclear family, crime, murder, suicide, all types of abuses and the list goes on and on.

The blame can rightfully be placed in many directions. Included in these would be the devaluating of Motherhood in America. If you are a mother, that is a full-time career and ministry, don't ever stoop to become the President of the United States or anything else. Don't forsake motherhood for money. Don't miss motherhood for money.

Of course, any article positing any opinion is readily available on the web, but sadly, this is not the fist time I have heard these arguments. I shouldn't be mad about these people and their views, but dammit, I can't help but be offended by comments like "if you do have to work because your husband died, work only enough to make ends meet and spend the rest of your day preparing Bible study for your kids,".....as opposed, I guess, to working to save for their college education.

I'll give it a rest now, but I leave you with this. Check out the "What's wrong with dating" article--and grovel, you heathens, in the knowledge that dating will make you get divorced. Get betrothed instead!