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Why women should/ should not work outside the home

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by Thinkingstuff, Feb 1, 2010.

  1. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    What are you're thoughts?

    Paul you are allowed with in the confines of the rules of the BB to attempt to derail this thread.
     
  2. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    My wife works and has a career.

    She is really good at what she does. Why/how could anyone suggest her place is just the home? It's a both/and for us...we both work in and out of our home.

    I find no biblical evidence to suggest that we can push an ecclesial qualification far into our society at large. Though I've heard terrible arguments that we can.
     
  3. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    There's no scriptural admonition against women having a career. There's only a scriptural admonition of women not putting the home first. HOW she puts the home first is completely between her and her husband. Our home and marriage is much more strengthened by the fact that we are both contributing with our careers to the home. But I also know that I need to support her in her keeping of our home.
     
  4. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Women Working Outside the Home

    There was a request in another thread that one be started on whether women should work outside the home or not. Women working in the home is much more a cultural idea than a scriptural one. We must remember what constitutes work. Much that would have been work in Biblical times is not necessary, i.e. turn on the faucet for water versus carrying water ... so we cannot limit this to the modern conception of work. Let's see:

    Ruth worked in the wheat, I guess it was wheat, fields.
    Rebecca carried water. [If you do not believe his is work, try it]
    Lydia was a worker, she was a dealer of purple cloth. In other words a profession.

    Just three examples of women outside the home working. I am sure there are more.

    There was almost no opportunity for "work" as we understand work today ... even for men in the OT.
     
  5. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    I think there is a lot case by case senario's that can't all be covered here however, I look a this passage of scripture as a template of what responsibilities the wife is to have and how she is to act. However consider the context of the Passage of when it was written and what were the cultural standards of the time.

     
  6. Crabtownboy

    Crabtownboy Well-Known Member
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    Lydia was a seller of purple cloth. Purple cloth was very expensive, so she must have been quite rich.
     
  7. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    I need to have a chat with my wife. She doesn't have any experience with wool and flax. Oh, the heathen she must be! :wavey:
     
  8. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    My wife will tell you that taking care of me is a fulltime job! :wavey:
     
  9. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    certainly in the passage I quoted there is a sence of value added to income making ability...
     
  10. Thinkingstuff

    Thinkingstuff Active Member

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    As it should be. And Very proper it is!!!!!!
     
  11. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    The Proverbs 31 woman bought and sold fields (31:16). She makes and sells clothing to merchants (31:24) I think that qualifies as work.
     
  12. Tom Butler

    Tom Butler New Member

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    The "virtuous woman" in Proverbs 31 was a businesswoman who took care of things at home, as well. Her husband and children blessed her (and well they should).
     
  13. Tom Bryant

    Tom Bryant Well-Known Member

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    My bride stopped working outside the home for the first time in our married life last year. She wanted to spend more time serving at church for free. We made less money this last year, but we will get more back from the IRS... so even in not working she made money! :tongue3:
     
  14. Trotter

    Trotter <img src =/6412.jpg>

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    My wife left the work force several years ago. This was a major blessing for her as it allowed her to help care for her grandmother during the last years of her life.

    Now, due to the economic downturn and me being laid off she has gone back to work. We would both rather her be home, but her years of office and accounting experience open up a lot more opportunity than my years as a forklift driver right now.
     
  15. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    I've been a stay at home mom, I've worked full time and part time. They both have their advantages. They both have their hardships.

    There are more reasons to work than making money. There are more reasons to stay at home than to take care of the fam in a more intense way.

    That Proverbs 31 woman is difficult to live up to ;)
     
  16. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    There are two threads on this. I'll ask a mod if they can combine them.
     
  17. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    I think a woman's primary responsibility is to be a "keeper at home" (Titus 2) but that doesn't mean she can't work too. However, it needs to be a decision made by the husband and wife together. As I posted elsewhere, I work both in and out of the home for our church and work about 10-15 hours a week, depending on what's going on. But it does not interfere with anything at home since I'm able to keep my children with me, I still take care of the home and such. My husband and children support me working - especially since basically my income buys the food. LOL

    But if a woman is working outside of the house and the home is suffering, she is going to be held accountable by God for what she did not do for her family and home. I've seen it before in some women but then I've seen others who work and home is great. It's really an individual thing.

    I have to say, if I didn't work at the church, I most likely wouldn't be working.
     
  18. Zenas

    Zenas Active Member

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    There are no scriptural limitations to women working outside the home but there needs to be some common sense limitations. My daughter is a partner in a large (500+ attorneys) law firm. Her husband, my son in law, has a management level position in a Fortune 100 company. They both work about 60 hours a week, often late into the night. Therefore, our grandchildren see a lot less of their parents than they should and I fear this is going to harm their development in the long run.

    So when you speak of women working outside the home, be sure this arrangement is handled so that at least one parent has time to spend with the children.
     
  19. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    Well! A big amen to that!
     
  20. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    This is a big rule. WHen my children were little, this is what we did. I worked during the week, and she worked on the evenings in the weekends.
     
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