Rachel,

I think my post was pretty clear and I can’t imagine that anyone with a conscience would be confused about whether a woman was required, for example, to collaborate with her mafia husband’s crimes. In terms of a woman’s cooperation in her husband’s sexual sins or any sin at all, I was very explicit. Please do not suggest I was unclear on this point.

I will reiterate that the sins of a husband in themselves do not nullify a marriage or any of the ordinary obligations of a marriage, in particular, the demands to obey in those things that are legitimate, though of course criminal behavior on the part of either spouse will create a tremendous amount of stress on the relationship, and create problems of conscience for the other spouse.

The context of my remarks were in response to comments which explicitly stated that a husband who was not in the state of grace or who was otherwise “not a good man” had no title to authority and could not expect to be obeyed. As a principle this is false, plain and simple.

In my prior post where I stated that I would NOT obey, I did not mean that he must be perfect before obedience and allegiance is due. There is a difference between a man’s fallen nature, shortcomings verses his grossly defiant rejection of God and God’s principles.

For myself, I’d prefer to live a life of total loneliness for the rest and remainder of my days on earth as a divorced woman than to sell my soul to the devil by obedience to a man who would perform criminal acts and then destroy his wife and family with lies and falsehood to cover up his actions.

In matters of ordinary every day life situations, I would agree that a wife must obey her husband’s final decisions as the ultimate authority in the home. I beg that a clarification be given as to when a wife should not obey her husband. Would you not agree that it be in matters of physical and sexual abuse? Or what about those wives who were married to members of the mafia… Do these woman turn their heads and look the other way, knowing full well that people are dying? Or what about wives who’s husbands are practicing fraudulent white collar crime? How about wives married to men that would force their wives into perverse sexual acts with multiple partners? I know that these are extreme cases, but I bring it to the forefront because you skirted the issue as to when it is acceptable for a woman to rebel against her husband’s authority.

I think all too many women shirk their responsibility to practice humbling obedience and in so doing they loose out many graces and an abundance of interior deepening of the purest level of love that a couple could experience. Therefore, I am not abdicating that women should not obey, to the contrary, I do think women should give this practice of obedience all that they can to the point of painfully dying to self in the process. However, as a domestic violence advocate who is NOT of the liberal mindset like most of my colleagues, I do have to bring up such issues for complete clarification for any woman who may be reading these articles who are under such oppression, (which I believe, by the way, is diabolic to say the least).

Thank you for the opportunity to address such an important topic regarding marriage and relationships.