Patriarchy is more stable. When feminism intrudes, the child becomes an idol, the woman becomes his priestess, and the man becomes an economic appendage. Thus the entire family structure is destroyed.
This is very much correct! But, insofar as Russia, father has not mentioned how 80 years of atheist Communism—coupled with Russia’s spearheading the world’s feminist movement, and installation of “Women’s Day”—completely stamped out any meaningful patriarchy in Russia. This was preceded, admittedly, by mothers falling away and into materialism, as St Theophan, St John of Kronstadt and the Optina elders warned, but also by fathers who were inadequate and Western-leaning. Many of the revolutionaries were sons of priests who’d lost the plot and whose children despised them for their flaws—as Checkhov did his father. Today, the picture Batushka paints of the family is the norm in Russia—mama’s boys who were worshipped and served, hand and foot, by their mothers and babushkas while their fathers were pushed out (and often pushed to drink) by their useless wives.
I agree with the comment about the patriarch blessing the family and the wife / mother supports him.
HOWEVER. only when he is a God-fearing man.
When he is a narcist then the family is doomed no matter what. When the husband puts all of his wants ahead of the wife and children, there is no good for the family. Their well-being has to be paramount.
When the family comes after everyone else, this leaves the wife and children trying to fend for themselves. This struggle is destructive.
We can depend upon the Russian Orthodox Church to uphold Christian values. In America we have scores of religions and look what is happening in America. Half the marriages end up in divorve, whart happens to the children? Crime is rampent. Drug use is prolific.
Russia has a much higher divorce rate and domestic abuse rate than the US or anywhere in Europe. Few Russian marriages are also Church marriages: even among Churchgoers—so Orthodoxy is not, by itself, saving marriages. People must actually follow Christ, not just light candles and judge their neighbors for not bowing or wearing makeup.
Moreover, Orthodoxy is Orthodoxy—Russian Orthodoxy is not special. If people do not follow Christ, regardless of what they claim to be or in what ethnicity they were born, they will become apostates. Today’s Epistle reading: “… there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”
In the west between 70% and 80% of divorces are started by the wife. Perhaps it's a bi-product of our world of narcissism, selfies, and teaching girls that they can be boys, and boys that they should be more like girls. But you can bet the Father of Lies is behind it.
This is very much correct! But, insofar as Russia, father has not mentioned how 80 years of atheist Communism—coupled with Russia’s spearheading the world’s feminist movement, and installation of “Women’s Day”—completely stamped out any meaningful patriarchy in Russia. This was preceded, admittedly, by mothers falling away and into materialism, as St Theophan, St John of Kronstadt and the Optina elders warned, but also by fathers who were inadequate and Western-leaning. Many of the revolutionaries were sons of priests who’d lost the plot and whose children despised them for their flaws—as Checkhov did his father. Today, the picture Batushka paints of the family is the norm in Russia—mama’s boys who were worshipped and served, hand and foot, by their mothers and babushkas while their fathers were pushed out (and often pushed to drink) by their useless wives.
I agree with the comment about the patriarch blessing the family and the wife / mother supports him.
HOWEVER. only when he is a God-fearing man.
When he is a narcist then the family is doomed no matter what. When the husband puts all of his wants ahead of the wife and children, there is no good for the family. Their well-being has to be paramount.
When the family comes after everyone else, this leaves the wife and children trying to fend for themselves. This struggle is destructive.
We can depend upon the Russian Orthodox Church to uphold Christian values. In America we have scores of religions and look what is happening in America. Half the marriages end up in divorve, whart happens to the children? Crime is rampent. Drug use is prolific.
Russia has a much higher divorce rate and domestic abuse rate than the US or anywhere in Europe. Few Russian marriages are also Church marriages: even among Churchgoers—so Orthodoxy is not, by itself, saving marriages. People must actually follow Christ, not just light candles and judge their neighbors for not bowing or wearing makeup.
Moreover, Orthodoxy is Orthodoxy—Russian Orthodoxy is not special. If people do not follow Christ, regardless of what they claim to be or in what ethnicity they were born, they will become apostates. Today’s Epistle reading: “… there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.”
In the west between 70% and 80% of divorces are started by the wife. Perhaps it's a bi-product of our world of narcissism, selfies, and teaching girls that they can be boys, and boys that they should be more like girls. But you can bet the Father of Lies is behind it.
We are newer converts to Orthodoxy(2020) and parents of eight children. I love this beautiful tradition! Thank you for sharing this!