Know Your Bible
VOL. 15 March 19, 2017 NO. 1
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AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS. IRVEN LEE
Conclusion
Role Of Women
What changes have you seen in the role of women through the years?
This just feeling like "I want to be more a part of things. This home life is not for me. I don't want to be tied down in the home. I want a job. I want a career."
And, its the wanting to get away from what our poor mothers had to do: "Our poor mothers were just tied down at home. They didn't have the opportunities that I have, so they missed out on so many things. And, I want something better. I don't know why I ought to have to do everything at home. My husband is just as capable of doing those things as I am. Why shouldn't he take his share of the work in the house? Why are some things women's work? Why does he think that I have to cook the meals and wash the dishes? Why can't he do those things? Why do I have to do all the care for the children? They are just as much his as they are mine."
I think we are forgetting the importance of being women. We've forgotten that a woman was the crowning act of God's creation. We've forgotten that God honored the woman as a woman. And, we think that the only way that we can be of any importance is to get out here and do what the men are doing. This submissive role that we are told we must observe that is so repulsive! We have failed to teach our children to be ladies and that there is an honor in being a woman.
And now, instead of giving our little girls baby dolls to play with, we give them Barbie dolls. We give them the teenagers. And we teach them to keep the hair of their dolls. We teach them that this Barbie doll now has a career. And we've forgotten the little baby doll that has to be babied and petted and put to bed at night and kissed and loved. We're not teaching them to be mothers. We're not teaching them to love little children.
How do you view subjection to a man? Did you ever view that as being inferior?
Oh no! It's so wonderful to have somebody make the decisions. My husband was the public one. He took care of me. He provided for me. I didn't have to make those major decisions. The submission was simple I had somebody to take care of me. To be submissive has been such a wonderful thing for me.
How do you respond to those women who act as if there is nothing they can do in the church?
I'd say that you have a private role. You can teach your children. You can teach your friends. But, your work is not the public work. Why should you want it to be? I can't understand women wanting it women in business meetings. Why on earth would a woman want to be there? Why do you want the public life? In your private life you can do an awful lot of teaching.
Why do you think women are wanting to teach men and be in business meetings, etc.?
I think it's the influence of the women's liberation movement that Christian women have unconsciously allowed to creep into their lives. They are hearing it on every side. Everything is geared to that now. Our young people are hearing this in the school, on the radio and on television that the woman must fulfill her potential that she is just as capable as the man. So, she must fulfill her potential. In so many cases, the women have more Bible knowledge because they've had more time to spend in Bible study. They think, "If I've got more Bible knowledge why shouldn't I get up here and teach these men?"
I think it is the woman's liberation movement. We've been so influenced even in the church beyond what we'd like to admit.
What kind of things have you done in the kingdom or the service of the Lord?
Of course, you know about my little Bible story books. I wrote them when my children were the age for them. I wrote them as a challenge. I told my husband, "There are no Bible stories books for children that are worth reading." My husband then said, "Write something."
Then, I began teaching the classes. The classes have been the main things that I have contributed to the work, whatever value they have been. I taught children's classes until I was middle age. There is nothing I enjoy more now than teaching ladies classes. I've taught various kinds. The kind I like to teach is simply teaching Bible topics or teaching the book of John, the book of Acts, etc. I've done a lot of teaching on the role of women in the home and the godly woman. Last year in the Vacation Bible School I took a different approach and taught a series of lessons on the "Ungodly Woman And Her Deadly Influence." That was very effective I felt. My classes have been strictly Bible.
Comment on the kind of things you did while brother Lee traveled in meetings. I understand you taught some classes.
Yes, I did often do that. I would often have, during the week, five lessons for women. In many of these classes I did teach on the home.
Did you help with the Use Your Bible series?
No, I did not. Now, I wrote some workbooks for women. They were just O.T. women and N.T. women. They were introductions and questions.
What kind of things can a woman do in the kingdom without violating the role that God has given her?
Aside from her teaching, there is hospitality to be extended. That's a very important part in a woman's work of opening her home to others and inviting in and being available in cases of sickness. Being there in case of a young woman's sickness being able to care for her children for her. Providing food. Just being there when a friend is in trouble. Be available for encouragement to others.
Why do you think we have less hospitality among the brethren than in times past?
We're too busy. So many of the problems that are in the church today are simply because we're living in an age when everybody is so busy. There is the breakdown in the family unit so that the family itself doesn't eat together. Therefore, we don't invite visitors in. It is too great an effort to fix a meal in the house. So if we invite someone, we more often take him to a restaurant. So we lose this sense of hospitality. We have just forgotten how much encouragement there is to the family itself in having someone in your home.
—Donnie Rader
Guardian of Truth - March 2, 1995
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