Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!julius.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: unisoft!lins@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Lindsay Gower) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: women working outside the home. Message-ID: Date: 6 Nov 90 08:25:24 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 50 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu lanre@cascade.stanford.edu (Lanre Amos) writes: >the scripture says "if a MAN will not provide for those of his household >he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" >so the woman should never have to work to support the family. it'a a >different thing if she WANTS to work but even then the motive must >not be to support the family. My reading of this, juxtaposed to the lovely example of the wife of noble character of Proverbs 31, brings me to the opposite conclusion: the wife if she wants to work outside the home, may if her motive IS to support her family. Ok, let me define *support*: I think the first scripture quoted above means that a man must make every effort to provide for his family. He shouldn't be a lazy bum or rely on charity or his parents or whatever. So he is to try his best. And as we all know, trying your best does not always meet the bills. So I don't see that a wife, if she and her husband prayerfully agree, shouldn't go earn some money too. Read Proverbs 31:10-31. This woman's concern is to MAKE A COMFORTABLE, HAPPY HOME. She is a HOME-MAKER. She is not bogged down by odd rules about her physical location; her motive is to provide. She provides food, but it doesn't say if she cooks it. She buys fields, she plants vineyards. Does she have an MBA? She keeps healthy (does she go to Jazzercise?) She weaves; surely she could do that at home but it is work that requires concentration, so she can't mind the kids simultaneously. Maybe theyre at school or someone is minding them. She makes sure everyone is clothed, and warm in winter. She speaks with wisdom (maybe a class at church or the local college?). Now here's the kicker: her children call her blessed and her husband praises her! Obviously, they do not feel neglected. IMHO, a wife/mother is responsible to God to create a happy, peaceful comfortable home for her husband/family. Just how she goes about doing that is between her, her God and her husband and should not be contingent on precise amounts of time spent in tightly defined spaces. I believe scripture bears this out. Lindsay Gower UniSoft Corp lins@unisoft.com