Smite Your Wife And She Will Smile

[debrand]

I followed a link from LAF to Scott Brown's blog. He is quoting John Winthrop.

John Winthrop suggests a life of authority and submission in marriage is actually a beautiful life of joy and liberty

:

The women’s own choice makes such a man her husband; yet, being so chosen, he is her lord, and she is to be subject to him, yet in a way of liberty, not of bondage; and a true wife accounts her subjection her honor and freedom and would not think her condition safe and free but in her subjection to her husband’s authority. Such is the liberty of the church under the authority of Christ, her king and husband; his yoke is so easy and sweet to her as a bride’s ornaments; and if through forwardness or wantonness, etc., she shake it off, at any time, she is at no rest in her spirit, until she take it up again; and whether her lord smiles upon her and embraceth her in his arms, or whether he frowns, or rebukes, or smites her, she apprehends the sweetness of his love in all, and is refreshed, supported, and instructed by every such dispensation of his authority over her. – John Winthrop

Why would Brown not be repulsed by the word, smite? The entire quote makes me nauseated but the addition of the word, smite really offends me. So, Brown believes that when a man hits a woman, the wife will respond with gratefulness at his rebuke.

Remember that the next time Vision Forum gets hot and bothered about manly men protecting women. How could anyone with daughters believe that is a admirable quote?

scottbrownonline.com/the-freedom-and-rest-of-a-well-ordered-family/

[doggie]

so he beats her so of course she apprehends his sweetness as it is no better then his assholyness.

[Chowder Head]

:pull-hair: I truely believe one day, one of these fundy women will loosr it and slice up of these smiting asshattery men.

[snarkyjan]

If mine tried "smiting" me, he'd pull back a stump.

[Jinger Jar]

He can gussy his arguments up all he wants, use all the flowery language and biblical lingo in his linguistic arsenal, but at the end of the day all he's promoting is domestic violence. Only someone suffering from a strong flavor of psychopatholgy argues for that.

[Peppercorn]

John Winthrop suggests a life of authority and submission in marriage is actually a beautiful life of joy and liberty

And prisons are actually palaces and abuse is actually inspiration and fundies are actually feminists.

[debrand]

Of all the older quotes he could have picked, I wonder why he chose that one? It says something about Brown that the word, smite didn't even bother him enough to write something explaining it. He could have written an additional note telling men that the language was old fashioned but not to hit their wives and explained the parts that he agreed. He didn't do that, which leads me to think that he agreed with the entire comment.

I wonder how many Vision Forum wives are abused by their husbands?

[dairyfreelife]

The black’s own choice makes such an owner his master; yet, being so chosen, he is his lord, and he is to be subject to him, yet in a way of liberty, not of bondage; and a true slave accounts his subjection his honor and freedom and would not think his condition safe and free but in his subjection to his owner’s authority. Such is the liberty of the church under the authority of Christ, his king and owner; his yoke is so easy and sweet to him as a slave’s ornaments; and if through forwardness or wantonness, etc., he can shake it off, at any time, he is at no rest in his spirit, until he take it up again; and whether his lord smiles upon him and embraceth him in his arms, or whether he frowns, or rebukes, or smites him, he apprehends the sweetness of his love in all, and is refreshed, supported, and instructed by every such dispensation of his authority over him.

– John Winthrop

There, fixed it. There's nothing wrong with this paragraph either, I presume.

[docmom]

Of all the older quotes he could have picked, I wonder why he chose that one? It says something about Brown that the word, smite didn't even bother him enough to write something explaining it. He could have written an additional note telling men that the language was old fashioned but not to hit their wives and explained the parts that he agreed. He didn't do that, which leads me to think that he agreed with the entire comment.

I wonder how many Vision Forum wives are abused by their husbands?

Oh none I'm sure. They're all willing participants in Christian domestic discipline and clearly deserving of all the smites coming their way /sarcasm

[Dark Matters]

"Freedom is slavery", "Ignorance is strength" - George Orwell , 1984

I wonder if that's where the fundies get some of their ideas.

[ems]

As horrific as this is (and it's pretty dang abusive, and I'm in no way justifying it), I didnt automatically read "smite" as "hit."

Mind you, whatever the smiting is supposed to mean, it's as I said abusive and messed up...but it could just as easily be some sort of "taking away of attention or favor" or some crap as physical abuse.

However, my first reaction when I read this was how blasphemous the whole thing is. I mean "smiting" is something I associate with God (albeit a messed up control-freak fundie-warped version of God). And here Winthrop is basically equating a woman's husband with her "lord." These husbands really do think they function as Jesus-on-earth, don't they?

[lizziesmom]

Check out the definition of 'smite'. Corporal punishment in every instance but the context of 'smitten with her beauty".

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smite

[debrand]

Ems, I've only ever seen smite be used to hit or hurt someone in some way.

I looked it up. 3b seems to be your definition. Let's hope that is the definition that Scott is using because I feel sorry for Mrs. Brown and his daughters if it isn't.

smote (smt), smit·ten (smtn) or smote, smit·ing, smites

v.tr.

1.

a. To inflict a heavy blow on, with or as if with the hand, a tool, or a weapon.

b. To drive or strike (a weapon, for example) forcefully onto or into something else.

2. To attack, damage, or destroy by or as if by blows.

3.

a. To afflict: The population was smitten by the plague.

b. To afflict retributively; chasten or chastise.

4. To affect sharply with great feeling: He was smitten by deep remorse.

v.intr.

To deal a blow with or as if with the hand or a hand-held weapon.

[snarkyjan]

"Freedom is slavery", "Ignorance is strength" - George Orwell , 1984

I wonder if that's where the fundies get some of their ideas.

Intriguing, but they're not thst literate.

[uber frau]

The VF crowd probably have read 1984, it's just they are so busy with the mental gymnastics of having everything fit into their neat little Calvinist worldview, the irony gets lost. (We 'studied' all sorts of literature at my fundie high school, it's amazing what you can miss when you're busy looking in the other direction.)

[AnywhereButHere]

Smite Your Wife And She Will Smile -

Sure I'd smile... All the way home from the police station and my lawyer's office.