Jason:<br><br>Thanks for the reply. <br><br>In response to:<br><br>" But I don't think the issue is better resolved by asking the question "Which parent is giving me the more biblically informed answer?", but rather, "Which parent lawfully serves as the head of my household?"<br><br>What I am in essence suggesting here is that your last statement contains a false dichotomy. In other words, I don't believe that there is any difference, in Christs eyes, between a "Biblically informed, and guided parent, and the parent that is the SCRIPTURALLY LEGAL head of the household. I believe that this was the issue Christ was speaking to when he summarized "all the law and the prophets" with the command to love God and neighbor as self. Notice how the law is CONTAINED IN THE COMMAND TO LOVE, just as the motivation and teaching of the law was love. <br><br>In other words, when you say:<br><br>"A lawful parent could very well command a child not to attend a Reformed Conference for a good reason."<br><br>I agree with you completely, but I ask the question, "Is the parent in the senario you have given the "lawful parent" according to scripture? Hasn't this parent deserted the wife and child, and chosen to live in sin? Haven't they, in many cases refused to support, or only minimally support, the child financially? In my view, though there may be a civil legal tie, there is no scriptural tie in such cases, where, as I pointed out in the last post, there is a long protracted pattern of abbrogation of responsibility.<br><br>As to the other cases you mention, I don't think there is the same scriptural warrant or legal mandate in the case of employers, so this is another issue and in the case of wives being subject to unbelieving husbands, again the issue is not the same as the parent child relationship and the scripture doesn't by any means indicate that the wife is to obey the husband when his commands are contrary to the scripture. It is also true that while difficult to do, the woman and the employee can both "submit" in the sense of being in submission generally and projecting that air and attitude in all that they DO, while at the same time not doing exactly everything that the husband or boss asks, in the way that is asked. In other words, there are ways to be a good wife or employee and still maintain ones integrity in many situations. <br><br>It isn't always easy, and without scriptural knowledge and some maturity it is almost impossible, but it can be done, in most cases without being the one leaving. In my own experience, where I have been asked to do illegal things by employers, and my former employment brought me into daily conflict with this issue, I have met with both grudging respect and outright rejection and advancement, depending on how I handled the situation and on how it was received. In no case does the scripture guarantee that the employer, or husband, will respond positively, but there is certainly the possibility implied. We must do what is right in God's eyes, with an attitude of humility and subjection, and leave the response to Him, which is what I believe Linda was trying to say. <br><br>That is what I am suggesting, not some panacea, or some majic bullet, or some reason for rebellion. The scriptures don't suggest this and neither do I.<br><br>I hope that makes my position a little clearer.<br><br>In Him<br><br>Gerry <br>
