The Christian and Domestic Violence
A real story
1 in 3 women … experienced physical violence since 15 years old (2.56 million women).
NSW (12 years) 1000 murders related to domestic violence,
92 % of the victims were female
100% of domestic violence related murders were as a result of male driven domestic violence.
What is domestic violence?
“Domestic violence is a pattern of controlling and abusive behaviour used by an intimate partner during a relationship or after a separation”
(domestic violence handbook for clergy and church workers 2010).
What does the bible really say?
Submission is a gift offer to a husband by the wife.
Husbands … commanded by God to love his wife in the way that Christ loved the church.
1 Timothy … the context is the different roles God has given to the different sexes in the context of the church gathering.
Genesis … a ‘suitable helper’
Confronting domestic violence
Acknowledge it.
Empathy not sympathy
Pray
Listen – to their story…
Work to understand
Make yourself available
Use God’s word carefully
Know when to act
Know where to go for help – see newsletter
When is it right to leave?
Economic reasons
… guilt, shame sadness, fear, a commitment to marriage vows, confusion of the right actions and often a strong feeling of helplessness.
“leave if you do not feel safe”
But what about divorce?
– Deut 24:1 – unfaithfulness
– Exodus 21:10-11 – a failure to provide food, clothing or conjugal rights
– Matthew 19:1
– Jeremiah 3:8 – God is described as a divorcee.
– Hosea 2:2, “she is not my wife and I am not her husband”.
– Isaiah 50:1, “where is your mothers certificate of divorce which I sent her away with”
– Mal 2:16, “God hates divorce” … he knows the pain that causes it.
– Col 3: 19, “husbands are to love their wives and do not to be harsh with them.”