Myster...thanks for asking..
Men are the first ministers and sometimes the only ministers that women talk to, in most churches.
They usually tell women"Divorce is a sin, God wants you to work it out" Well God does hate divorce but I have found scriptures that say He hates abuse too. I tell them to separate and it may be necessary to divorce.
It's not popular in all churches to say that. Women thinking independently of their husbands is still frowned upon in many fundamentalist churches.
A whole lot of abusers are men that go to church. Women are embarrassed to reach out, therefore.
You should read my e-mail for a month. The reality of it will shock you. I have pastors wives who can't get help.
My dream is to get the government out of the DV business and to bring together a team of pastors who are willing to ask the church for a fund to be set apart to help DV victims. This includes sexual abuse victims in the home.
I envision having Christian homes for women that need shelter, and counseling and have them pampered by Christian hair dressers, ect.
If the DV alliances work then why are women being abused more then ever in this country?? They don't work.
Four years ago the Bush administration said they were releasing more grant money for Domestic Violence advocacy groups. I wrote them and asked if faith based groups could be considered for some of that grant money.
I got no answer, but I did get a Christmas card from George and Laura the next year. LOL
I am looking for social change within the Churches, but to be honest, some of these MEGA CHURCHES are more interested in "money grabbing" then helping the flock.
I know this is brutally honest, but I have been working with victims fulltime for four years, I am weary.
IMHO men seeing all these men kill their wives and get by with it is even causing more violence.
:angel:
Now you have me curious, curiostycat. Why does the church not want to get involved in domestic violence issues?
Would advising a congregation of the possibilies of assistance in your community be a problem?
Would helping a victim find assistance be a problem?
Would helping an abuser find other ways to work within a relationship other than abuse be a problem?