Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Before we begin a new series, this needs to be addressed.

Is Clarity in Action anti-male?

Or

Does Clarity see men as bad and women as good?

Personally, I, Sydney, like men: good, kind men. I grew up with three brothers. I love my dad. I am married to a wonderful, generous, kind man. We have a son and son in law. Men are great. And men that reflect Jesus Christ truly are a gift to their wives, families, churches, and communities. That’s God’s good plan–and it works!

Then why does Clarity focus on men and their sin? The truth is that, statistically,

• As many as 1 in 3 women experience severe physical abuse by an intimate partner.¹Violence Against Women, World Health Organization, March 25, 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women#:~:text=Estimates%20published%20by%20WHO%20indicate,violence%20is%20intimate%20partner%20violence.
• Males perpetrate 95% of all serious domestic violence.²U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics Online. http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/

Maybe that seems odd. If you’d like to know why, we’d love to explain the biblical and practical basis of domestic oppression. God doesn’t ignore or overlook violence for the sake of marriage. Instead, He calls us to intervene on behalf of the downtrodden and broken-hearted.

God stands in the divine assembly;

he pronounces judgment among the gods:

“How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

Provide justice for the needy and the fatherless;

uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

Rescue the poor and needy;

save them from the power of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:1-4)

Flip the statistics upside down and the majority of women have not experienced domestic abuse in an intimate relationship; neither have men. Not everyone has first-hand experience with marital oppression, but it does affect us all.

One example is the oppressed woman who teaches children in the local church. Because of her understanding and experience, she will likely communicate a top-down approach of God and others and each child will accept domination as the norm for church life. In the end, many will leave the faith because of hypocritical leadership. The Body of Christ experiences loss when women are not free to express themselves, their gifts, and personhood. When one member suffers, everyone suffers (1 Cor. 12:26).

If you have healthy, God-honoring relationships, praise the Lord! Stop to thank Him. Reflect on the blessings of community and belonging. These are good gifts from our Father in Heaven.

Then pray for those who need help. Pray for those who are not seen or heard, who do not experience a safe spouse, local church, or God. Finally, seek to be trustworthy and express love the way Jesus has loved you.

More on that in our upcoming newsletters.

Notes

• 1
  Violence Against Women, World Health Organization, March 25, 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women#:~:text=Estimates%20published%20by%20WHO%20indicate,violence%20is%20intimate%20partner%20violence.
• 2
  U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics Online. http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook/