What is a woman's greatest danger?

       I signed on tonight with the intention of writing about the skewed teachings of ATI and just how warped their beliefs are. I went to my parents' house tonight and looked around in the basement for some of the old "wisdom booklets" in order to pull some true examples to show you all just what we were taught. My mother pulled a notebook off the shelf titled "Home Superintendents' Council   Advanced Training Institute International" and had my father's name and address on the cover. I had seen this binder before, but I was never allowed to touch the things on my father's desk. "Home Superintendent" is ATI for "dad". Every month the men of ATI would meet locally with each other to discuss how to rule their homes. They were sent newsletters each month written by Bill Gothard with topics that applied to "real families" and everyday life. I instantly sat down and began flipping through the binder.  As my Gramma would say, the madder I got, the faster I read and the faster I read, the madder I got that anyone could live in this world which I did. My mother had to make me get up off the floor and go to work. I took the binder with me. I had intended on pulling several small examples of statements that would allow me to show you that I exaggerate none of my writings.  As I sit here flipping through page after page of  "Biblical advice" I came across an article "to be read at the beginning of the September 1997 HSC meeting". This article itself provides the perfect example of misogyny and male superiority which was drilled into our heads for years.  I have edited nothing, and all of my comments are in purple. If you require them, I would suggest taking your blood pressure medications at this time.


                                                  What is a woman's greatest danger?

      I have asked this question of hundreds of younger and older women. They responded with many suggestions, but when I named the following, they all instantly nodded and affirmed that this was indeed their greatest danger:
                          UNPREDICTABLE EMOTIONS
       Many women are controlled by their emotions, and their emotions are controlled by a variety of factors that are unanticipated by them and often misunderstood by those around them. Emotions are a part of the soul, which is made up of the mind, will, and emotions.
What Controls The Emotions
Any two of the three elements of the soul will control the third. Thus...
Emotions plus will overcome the mind.
Emotions plus mind overcome the will.
Mind plus will overcomes the emotions.
With this overview, it is easy to understand why God warns that our real warfare is in the mind and in making Biblical commitments with our will. We are to cast down false ideas and imaginations and bring every thought captive to the truth that is in Christ. God promises peace to any believer who will keep his mind fixed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, rather than the passing troubles and tribulations that so quickly create fear and worry, upset hormonal balances, and produce powerful emotions that override clear thinking and previous commitments to live Godly lives.
To anyone who answered "The Limbic system", "The Hypothalamus", or "The Amygdala", I'm sorry. That is incorrect, but you are probably a woman, so that is to be expected.
Basic causes of wrong emotions in women
You will not suffer from these if you were born with a penis.
1. FEARS
       Fears do not come from God. They come from Satan. And vaginas.  Hundreds of times throughout Scripture we are warned not to fear. Fears are disabling. As are spinal cord injuries. They result in wrong decisions and destructive actions. A women tends to have fears in the following areas:

• Fear of Rejection-This is, perhaps, the strongest fear of a woman, because God created woman from man, and to be rejected by a father of husband is to lose her God-given identity. Clearly it is impossible to know who you are unless there is a man in your life. Fear of rejection explodes in a woman when she sees her husband admire or pay undue attention to another woman. Admiring another woman who clearly deserves it by wearing clothes which were intended to defraud a man is to be expected. This is only a problem if your wife fears being rejected, it is never due to the fact that you were being a horny bastard with no self-control.  
• Fear of Inadequacy-Most women feel inadequate for the tasks and responsibilities that they face. Sometimes sewing clothes for that 20th child can get confusing.  They need constant reassurance from a patient, sensitive, kind, and understanding husband. Often they need special training or assistance in difficult tasks. Remember, they haven't had all that there fancy book learnin' like you done there did.  A wise husband will find skilled older women who can invest in his wife. A man cannot be expected to help his wife in learning these tasks, he is very busy not being controlled by those pesky, wrong emotions. A happy, fulfilled wife is a key to a successful family.
• Fear of the Unknown-The homemaking desires of a wife and mother give her the ability to create a "functional world" and serve her family within it. The fact that functional world is in quotation marks should be noted. The real world is too vast for a woman to understand, so she should be allowed to create her own simple reality where she will be much more comfortable. When she is asked to perform a new task or move to a new location, she will tend to have immediate fears. A wise husband will always allow his wife enough time and information to move mentally and emotionally before asking her to move physically.
• Fear of Sickness and Pain-Satan condemns a woman for any past violation of God's holy law. Any moral failure in the past will create fears of future judgment in her own physical health, or in the health of her babies. I can't tell you how terrible it is to have people tell you that the reason your child did not survive pregnancy was because you had committed a sinful act for which God had not forgiven you. The first step when a miscarriage or SIDS occurs is to find the sin in the woman's life, and only after thorough soul searching is medical help sought as a cause.  She needs to be reassured from Psalm 51 and 103 that God forgives those whose sins are cleansed by the blood of Christ and that "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities" (Psalm 103:10)
• Fear of Loneliness-With the expectation of children leaving the home and with an increasing number of Christian fathers violating their marriage vows, leaving their wives, and forsaking their children, a wife today can be terribly vulnerable to the fear of loneliness. Loneliness begins when the spirit of a husband grows distant from his wife. Finally! Something is the fault of the husband! This often happens when there is an offensive discussion that caused the husband to become angry, resentful, or bitter. Tricked you! It's still the woman's fault!  Such incidents must be corrected in the day they occur by truly repenting of the basic offense, making confession, asking forgiveness, and praying together. This step is only necessary if the old lady you hired has not taught your wife to pray on her own. These things can be difficult.

2. BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS
        Marriage is a covenant because it is established on a relationship. A contract is established on goods and services. A woman's world revolves around relationships, and when any one of the following relationships is broken, she will experience unexpected emotional upheavals in other areas of her life.

• A Distant Relationship With God-A wife's fellowship with God is in direct relationship to the harmony she has with her father and her husband. The key to restoring relationships is in cleansing her by the Word of God, which is achieved through the husband's memorizing and meditating on Scripture. Memorizing is a lot of work. One cannot expect his wife to be able to take on this task herself. So as not to make her feel inadequate in yet another area of her life, it is best just to take on this role yourself and not even let your wife try.  Just as Jesus sanctified himself by the Word for our sakes, so a husband must sanctify himself by the Word and prayer for the sake of his wife and children.
• A Damaged Relationship With the Father-Many fathers have damaged their daughters as they were growing up. Agreed. These offenses must be dealt with Biblically and cleared up so that the daughter can love and forgive her father even if he is not the man he should be. Seeing as all fathers are men, the daughter is clearly the one responsible here. Physical, emotional, mental, or any other type of abuse are not a factor. A father who rejects his daughter for being an adulterous harlot is to be idolized and adored just as a father who sees his daughter as his little princess would be...or some other completely random example of how a father could offend his daughter. 
• A Strained Relationship With the Mother-If a father is not getting along with his wife, he may show extra attention to a daughter, Yes, this may even be in the form of sexual attention if the daughter has a defrauding nature. which may then cause the mother to react to her. The problem is intensified when the daughter asks the father for privileges that the mother does not think are wise or appropriate.
• An Overdependence on Friends-When God-given relationships are damaged, and therefore are not producing the love, support, and counsel that are necessary, friends are often used to fill these deficiencies. Such friendships can quickly become too dominant, or hurtful as expectations are unfulfilled. Outsiders may learn too much and may point out that your wife is in a cult, and may attempt to rescue her. 

BASIC STEPS TO CONQUER WRONG EMOTIONS
         A wise and courageous (really? you need courage to face a woman who has created a "functional world"?)  husband will regularly ask his wife to describe her emotions to him. He will listen with interest and patience, without feeling he must understand each one or defend himself if he is the cause. Hold your ground, men! Resist that urge to admit fault! After discussing unpredictable emotions, he will help his wife in the following ways.
1. ACCEPT THE REALITY OF UNPREDICTABLE EMOTIONS Bitches be crazy
2. DEDICATE THE EMOTIONS TO GOD IN A SPECIFIC PRAYER God doesn't like important prayers to be clogged up with concerns about how a woman feels.
3. RESTORE ANY DAMAGED OR BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS Make her give you make-up sex.
4. LIST HER FEARS AND DISCOVER RHEMAS FOR EACH ONE
        This step is vital, because the rhemas of the Word are the Sword of the Spirit by which a wife can do battle against the enemy. You may need to set aside a few days for step 4. A woman may feel inadequate and may need special training and assistance in using her imaginary sword.  Share verses with her in areas of fears and see which ones stand out to her with special meaning.
5. MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SLEEP AND PROPER NUTRITION No one likes a hangry wife.
6. HELP HER TO SEEK DISCIPLES, NOT JUST FRIENDS Disciple: Woman who is able to be brainwashed as well. Friend: Person who may threaten your power by letting your wife borrow a book. 
7. ANTICIPATE THE CYCLES OF LIFE Know when to expect your wife's lady times. Simply asking your wife may not be enough, seeing as the stove only has a clock, not a calendar. 

             WHAT IS A MAN'S GREATEST DANGER?
        The greatest danger in a man is anger. It destroys his objectivity, damages vital character qualities, and devastates all those around him. Scripture confirms this danger by warning husbands not to be bitter against their wives, or their prayers will be hindered. Note: still the fault of the wife. (See 1 Peter 3:7) For further help, study the Counseling Booklet on anger. ONE PARAGRAPH?!?! ONE. FREAKING. PARAGRAPH. 

      I was raised hearing and believing all of this, but after being out for a few years, even I forget just how ridiculous everything really was. This article absolutely outrages me, but I am not currently on my period so I can't figure out why I am feeling all of these wrong emotions! If only I had a husband or an involved father to memorize some verses for me so I could get some sleep tonight!