A viral video of a wedding ceremony in Atlanta, USA, has sparked a debate on social media about the meaning and relevance of the word “obey” in wedding vows. The video, posted by @idovideographyatlanta, shows a black bride refusing to say “I will obey you” to her husband, as she stated it was not discussed in their counseling sessions.
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The Background of the Vow
The vow ‘to obey one’s husband’ is a traditional part of the Christian wedding service, dating back to the 16th century Book of Common Prayer. The original vow for the wife was slightly different from the one for the husband:
- he promised to love, comfort, honor and keep her;
- she promised to love, honor and keep, but also to obey and serve.
The vow reflects the patriarchal view of marriage that prevailed in the past, where the husband was the head of the household and the wife was his subordinate. However, over time, many couples have chosen to omit or modify the vow to reflect their egalitarian values and expectations.
The Reaction to the Video
The video of the bride’s refusal to ‘obey’ her husband has gone viral, attracting millions of views and thousands of comments. The reactions are mixed, with some people praising the bride’s courage and empowerment, while others criticizing her for not listening to her husband or respecting the minister. (article continues after video)
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Some of the positive comments include:
- “obey simply meaning do u obey the laws of marriage? submit to the laws of marriage.”
- “I asked the obey part to be left out. Preacher looked at me like. He is not my dad he is my husband. Go girl.”
- “She did what she felt was right for her. Good for her.”
Some of the negative comments include:
- “But she wants everything he has to offer…but not listen to her husband.”
- “She should have discussed this before the wedding. It’s disrespectful to do this in front of everyone.”
- “marriage over before it even started. stay up lil bro.”
The Implication for Modern Marriage
The video of the bride refusing to obey her husband raises some important questions about modern marriage and how couples communicate their expectations and values. Some of the questions are:
- Is the vow to obey still relevant or necessary in today’s society?
- How should couples decide what vows they want to exchange?
- How should couples handle disagreements or conflicts during their wedding ceremony?
- How does the vow to obey affect the power dynamics and roles in a marriage?
There is no definitive answer to these questions, as different couples may have different preferences and opinions. However, one thing is clear: communication is key. Couples should discuss their vows and what they mean to them before their wedding day, and respect each other’s choices and feelings.
The video of the bride refusing to obey her husband is a viral example of how wedding vows can be a source of controversy or empowerment, depending on one’s perspective. What do you think? Would you say “I will obey you” in your wedding vows? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below!
Source: MSN
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I think obey can be replaced by Trust and Respect in the marriage vows for both wife and husband.
If both the wife and husband making the same vow to each others then that’s fine, but definitely not going to say that obey part for just me. There are some culture to this day that the men are allowed to have more than one wife and to go out and do as they pleas while the wives are submitted to stay at home take care of the children and the home and are not allowed to do the samr things the husband does. Now making that vow bind her to that law where as the husband was not bind to such law as he never made that vow.
However these are things that must be discuss between the both man and woman before making a commitment to avoid humiliating each other on their special day.
I am for unity and respect in a marriage, but it goes both ways.
I admire this sister’s courage to stick to what she believe..
It doesent have to mean that the wife will be rebellious or that she does not live her husband and want to have a lasting relationship.
This ridiculous.
We all to get back to basic
God gave the command to wives and to husbands.
The wife in the video, just reflecting who she is.
A Godly wife will obey God.
She will obey her husband.
Most certainly a Christian woman would understand what the Bible says about women obeying their husbands. However, the world is in trouble and it’s Christ who will fix it.
What if the husband is not a godly man ?
Why doesn’t the husband obey the wife…we are both equal
I think this is why there are so man violence abuses in marriage
Counselors should now discuss this with the parties involved before the wedding
We are now in a different era and things and views change