I mean that quite literally. LVD and MG and MPB are willing to take orders and not think. Everything they say, including MG's new theological takes on things, are from men. Men who are god's righteous. This is what makes you a good woman. You'll find this in pretty much most hyper religious groups but these men value it far more than most others. As you can see they promote those women to everyone else, to draw other men like them. Women who do are rewarded with attentiveness, attention and special place, promoted, cossetted and head patted.
To the men it is "see, we have what you want! Look at these women who submit to anything you tell them to and whose every thought is yours" and to the women like these they will be the best kept of the women (we won't live in tents).
She's perfect for them. So is Lori. Wouldn't it be great to be their perfect women? It is a perfect world.
Yes!
This seems to follow reliably with what I've read regarding strongly patriarchal systems and religions.
Because they believe men are able to be "closer to God" (yeah, I dunno why, but just roll with the logic/lack thereof) they are bestowed with the "spiritual responsibility" of the household (which means you'd better choose a smart one to marry, I guess? Especially with the stigma of divorce. Goooood luck with that).
In researching a fiction writing project about addiction last year, I stumbled across a religion-based book on Scribd about what to do if your husband was addicted to *advertiser censored*.
It didn't involve a suitcase or a lawyer.
What it did recommend was so jaw-dropping I could not quit reading.
The book kept reiterating the woman's subservient position in the home and the necessity for her to (somehow) still "obey" Mr. BusyHandsHusband, despite the fact he was rather distracted from his "leadership role" in the family.
My takeaway was that it would be "selfish" for the woman to pack up her kids and get away, no matter how egregious the addiction. Instead, her job was to "pray more" (I'm guessing she already was?) until Mr. BusyHandsHusband "came back to God."
No mention of whether she was allowed to play a lot of Farmville while she waited it out (I don't condone physical violence, usually, but CD deserves a hard backhand on his chastising TD for playing a computer game whilst he was out being the *advertiser censored* of the walk. Also, just stupid for him to do that. If you're gonna have an affair, one of the BEST things you could have is a slightly checked-out spouse playing a game for hours on end where she's building the virtual life she thought she might get by marrying your sorry, cheating *advertiser censored*.)
Also, the wife of the addicted was NOT to try to take leadership of the family, financially/spiritual leadership-wise, but instead bring in their religious leader (a man) to "straighten out" the husband and "help him find his way back." If that didn't work, they would work their way up the totem pole of male leaders until hubby found someone he'd listen to when they told him to stop.
But ideally, no one went outside the system for secular resources (therapist, addiction treatment, etc) - keep it all under wraps as best as possible, because with an all-powerful God, praying could make anything happen (which reminds me of the lifeboat parable, except with the addicted God says "You drove by the addiction treatment every day! Did you not see the TV special on dopamine and addictions?! I put options in your path!").
Thinking this advice had to be a fluke of the self-publisbed and poorly edited, I researched more of this, including an advice site run by like-minded people, and no, it's not a fluke!
These gender roles are concrete - woman subservient, absolute power vested in the husband and other men.
Oh, and if women go astray, they were "misbehaving" (y'know, like children) while men were merely "led astray by Satan" (momentarily tempted).
I see a lot of that in this whole story.
TD patiently waiting out this latest fancy of CD, trying to be the good, supportive wife.
MG basically waiting around to be told what to do, keeping the situation within the ranks, excusing behavior that conflicts with beliefs as "Satan" influenced behavior.
LVD will probably be used as an example of what happens when "women try to get above their place" in this centuries old order. I can just hear the BS, "You see? She tried to take leadership where she was not qualified, and look what happened! Now go make me a sammich and get these floors cleaned, woman!"
For MG to be evil, she would have to be capable of intent, and I can't see that she has an iota of intent other than to wait around for her head pat from whomever is in charge. Doesn't excuse her, but seems consistent what I learned about some patriarchal systems.
Also the smiling (so disturbing!) indicates a huge disconnect. Yes, this stuff is happening, but not "to her" because there's no "her" there to impact.
MOO