'Women: be submissive'
OUTRAGED women at a leading church in Sevenoaks are flocking away from Sunday services – after being told they must do exactly what their husbands say.
Rev Mark Oden, curate at St Nicholas Church, Rectory Lane, gave a "medieval" sermon, Marriage and Women, to parishioners, calling on wives to submit to their husbands.
He also blamed the role of the modern woman for the breakdown of some marriages.
"We know marriage is not working," said the married father of three. "We only need to look at figures – one in four children have divorced parents.
"Wives; submit to your own husbands."
Days earlier, St Nicholas's vicar Angus MacLeay, also married and chairman of trustees at ecclesiastical organisation Reform, published a leaflet telling women they "should remain silent... if their questions could legitimately be answered by their husbands at home."
Members of the congregation have cancelled their charitable direct debits to the church, also linked with Lady Boswells School, Plymouth Drive, in protest.
"As if we are being told to let our husbands talk for us," fumed one wife, who lives in Sevenoaks and attends the church.
"And which husband? I divorced my previous husband because he threatened me and my children – am I supposed to listen to him?"
Rev Oden defended his sermon.
"I am passionate about helping people to have healthy marriages.
"I did not set out to unnecessarily offend people, but I stand by what God has said in his word the Bible."
See this week's Sevenoaks Chronicle for full story
43 Comments
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by John Humphrey, Sevenoaks
Thursday, February 18 2010, 4:49PM
“I cannot understand the use of the word "medieval" to describe adherence to Bible teachings. The point is that the medieval period was a time when the teachings of the Bible were neglected; that is why we had the Reformation. In this country, the Jacobean period tried to undo this, and that is why we had the great Evangelical Revival in the eighteenth century. Now we have secularists and liberal theologians obscuring Bible teaching, and this is why we have organisations like Reform. Finally, however much some people may disagree with Bible teaching, they ought surely to accept that Christians believe what Christians have always believed.”
by John Saxton, Sevenoaks
Wednesday, February 17 2010, 1:10PM
“Aye, indeed, resident.....a bit more than last ten years, The State has not been the same since Cromwell's death. I suppose being narrow minded is better than having no mind at all.....giving up reason is akin to having one's brain sucked out with a straw. Anybody who gives any credence to the religious rubbish below are surely mentally ill. Wake up.....think a little (but more is better) and enjoy life before death.”
by Resident, Sevenoaks
Monday, February 15 2010, 9:36PM
“..And the state is the answer John? Look at the damage the so called 'state' has done to the UK in the last 10 years. What a narrow minded view..”
by John Saxton, Sevenoaks
Monday, February 15 2010, 12:31PM
“Why in 2010 are we even debating this rubbish ? Anything to do with religion, all of them, belongs to the Dark Ages. It is about time the state took over all churches and had them converted into flats, social housing preferably, and had most vicars arrested for obtaining by deception. The age of reason emerged about 450 years ago, enough of this emotional clap trap.”
by Max, Kent
Sunday, February 14 2010, 10:17PM
“I sat with my wife and four children in the pews the day that the Curate delivered his sermon.
Contrary to what is reported in the press, it was a thoughtful, compassionate exposition of the Bible passage 1 Peter 3 v 1-12.
My wife and the majority of women of the church were not offended by his sermon, in fact seem to find the sermon helpful and engaging.
The Church is not the market place, not a public space but in fact is the family home of the St Nicholas Church family. The Curate is preaching to and looking after the pastoral needs of the churches members.
Today he preached the second half of the sermon addressing the husbands. He clearly told us men to Honor our wives, listen to them, put their physical, emotional and spiritual needs before our own.
He reminded us to look to the inner beauty of our wives. Seems healthy advice to me. A lesson that the secular world could do with hearing.
By the way the churches four services today were as vibrant and full as they always are if not fuller (the additional twitchy journalist or two, looking for another scrap to devour). About a thousand people over four services, not really a dwindling congregation contrary to the reports. Made up by people from all manner of professions, journalists, writers, teachers, police officers, photographers, bankers, doctors, builders.
As a footnote to all the angry cyber bullies, the Curate is an excellent loving husband and father!”