Michelle Duggar

Last week I read an article about Michelle Duggar who is the star of the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting about her extremely large family. Apparently Michelle has been publicly speaking to other women about marriage and what she thinks constitutes a good marriage. She touched on what she believes as the most important I found a few quotes that were rather interesting: 

A Husband Needs A Wife Who Accepts Him As A Leader And Believes In His God-Given Responsibilities: Husbands are commanded to govern their wives; God works through a man’s decisions — good or bad; Bad decisions reveal his needs and allow the wife to appeal and demonstrate Godly character; The more a wife trusts her husband, the more careful he will be in giving her direction; Never ask others for counsel without your husband’s approval; reassure your husband that you understand and believe that he is your God-given leader.

A Husband Needs A Wife Who Will Continue To Develop Inward And Outward Beauty: How can you become more of the wife of your husband’s dreams? Discover and conform to your husband’s real wishes; explain your hairstyle to others on the basis of your submission to your authority; separate your 'rights' from your responsibilities.

Ask Your Husband To Define Your Responsibilities: Ask your husband to tell you when you have a resistant spirit; dispel a backbiting tongue by silence.

In fairness, everyone should be able to live their lives the way they want to. Her marriage does not personally affect me and if that is what makes her happy then by all means go ahead and keep living your life. My problem, however, is that she is figure in the public eye and by broadcasting her views she is setting women back about 100 years.

I am by no means a religious expert, but to me this seems absolutely ridiculous. I know Eve was created from Adam's rib, but in Genesis 1: 26-28, both men and women were given equal ruling over the earth. Gender roles is one of the many ambiguous themes throughout the Bible, but Michelle Duggar doesn’t even seem to acknowledge that women are allowed to have at least some power. By saying that God works through a man and that all women must take commands from men is absolutely ancient and barbaric. I am picturing my male-chauvinistic brother reading this and laughing, and then asking me to go make him a sandwich.

Duggar doesn’t even want to have her own opinions but instead devout her life to submitting and serving her husband. Getting a certain hairstyle so he will be happy? Silence yourself and never speak your mind? Believe your husband is your “God-given leader”? Women have fought so hard for equality and are continuing to fight, but women like Duggar threaten everything they have worked for.