First off, if I was one of those men you would not have to ask for a seat. There are still a lot of men out there with old fashioned values and we don't even think about it, it is an automatic response because of how we were raised. But I would not think it rude of you to ask were none of them to offer.
One thing no one has pointed out so far is the fact that for the typical person of OT times 30 was considered a ripe old age. It was against the norm for people to live into their 40's & 50's. So, a "girl" of 15 in OT times was pretty much in mid-life. Does that mean that it is acceptable for 14 & 15 yr. olds to marry today, no. I can tell you that coming from Ky. that does still go on today though. It was not too long ago that if a woman past her 18th birthday and was not married she was considered an old maid.
I'm going to put this out there as personal experience.
First off, are we damned if we commit suicide, I can't say for certain. Everything I have ever read or heard says yes, but as I grow in faith and see more and more how merciful our God is I'm not sure.
Now for personal experience. When I was in the worst of my drug and alcohol addiction I spent years waking up every morning wishing for death. I hated who I was and what I had become so much that I couldn't stand to even look at my face in the mirror. I attempted 3 times to commit suicide in a span of probably four years. Every time I failed. At that time I thought I can't even do this right so I put myself in situations where I hoped someone else would do it for me. I ran guns and drugs across country for three years from Ky. to Az. and back. I dealt with biker gangs on one end and the Mexican mafia on the other. There were many times when I should have died and didn't, again, at the time, thinking why can't I just die!!!
Getting busted and spending a year in prison didn't help matters any. Not having anyone on the outside at this time (my choice and doing) I felt abandoned and alone in the world and wanted to die even more.
Getting out and being in a state that I had never been in before Ks., I went right back to the drugs and alcohol. While going to the parole office 5 days a week for drug and alcohol treatment. To try and stay clean on UA's I was drinking Clorox bleach and lemon juice every day. In essence I was putting poison into my body so that I could keep putting poison into my body ( bright huh!). It didn't work, I came up hot on a couple of UA's and they were going to send me back to prison. I couldn't take anymore, on June 12th 1996 I dropped to my knees and said God if you are out there I can't do this, I'm tired of living this life. Either let me die or help me. God took my drug and alcohol addictions from tha that very instant never to return.
I went through all that to make this point, had God not intervened and let die of my own choosing I would never have known the life I have now in Christ. Is this life perfect, by no means. Is this life worth it, by all means. I can look back now and see all the times God stepped in and saved my life. He did so, so that he could send me back into the prisons to share my testamony with others who are going through and feeling the same things.
I love life so much now because of Christ and look forward to serving him every day. But I would not have this joy had I gone the other route.
If you know of anyone contemplating suicide, tell them to hold on, turn to Christ, and see what joy, love and excitement He has in store for you. Mike.
Just to get back on track to the original question, just personally I feel that 10 years younger than myself to be the maximum age difference. That is just my personal choice. I do not want to feel that in my choice of spouse that I have to raise another child. Some men may disagree and that's fine.
A lot of times when a man chooses a spouse much younger than himself it is for purely selfish reasons ie; to boost his ego, or to prove his virility, etc.
It has also been shown that most times when one spouse feels they are raising the other they tend to lose all sexual/romantic desire for the other because they have then entered into a parent/child relationship. This can occur regardless of the actual age. The childlike spouse can be the older one in the relationship, just because one is of a certain age doesn't make them an adult. It has to do with maturity.
Phoenyx,
If you look at a model of the Jewish family from biblical times ( and is still in effect a lot today ), a Jewish male comes to the age of decision at age 13. From 13 to 30 he is considered to be under the age of parental guidance. He can make a lot of his own choices but still answers to his parents. He is not officially considered a full adult until the age of 30. Hence, the reason Jesus did not start his ministry until the age of 30.
Already asked Cattleman this... Now it's your turn
Posted : 26 Jun, 2009 01:50 AM
I guess I don't look at any of the guys profiles so this was kind of a surprise. Would you call it wishful thinking? If I ever do remarry I want a WOMAN that will join by my side in ministry and be my partner in life. I don't want a spouse that I feel like I have to raise like a child.
I think we do need to have a long discussion on this topic, to bring healing hopefully at least in our little corners of the world. In the perfect Walgreens world, yes, God made each of us equal, and Jesus died for all of us on the Cross. But the ruler of this world is Satan and things go a little differently here.
My father was so predjudiced that he would not even watch a tv show with blacks on it. Having been raised in the backwoods of Kentucky racism was very prevalent. I can even remember seeing a billboard in Tenn. advertising for membership in the K K K, and I knew a few very " proud " card carrying members.
Things have really not changed that much since then. If you go into the men's room in the factory I work at in Kansas now, you will see K K K and Hitler slogans scratched into the walls of the stalls and there aren't even blacks working there.
The best way to start healing for these sicknesses is to get them out in the open and discuss them. Otherwise we keep this hatred inside and it eats at us like cancer.
But this is a Christian forum, and Christians aren't supposed to have those kinda feelings. Once again, the perfect Walgreens world. Let the healing begin here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
