Submissive leader of the free world

In a two-part Essay Terrence Heath looks at the theology behind some of Michelle Bachmann's pronouncements. Somebody's got to do it.

In the first part Bachmann talks about the distinction between being submissive and subservient to her husband, as Fundie theology demands. Actually, Heath says as he quotes a dictionary, there isn't a noticeable difference between the two words.

Bachmann is trying to straddle the fence. First, she is reassuring her Fundie base that she is one of them. Second, she is trying to tell the rest of us that her Fundie faith is harmless to the rest of us. But it has left a contradiction. How can she be both submissive to her husband and leader of the free world?

Much of the rest of the first essay discusses the Fundie idea that there is a place for everyone and you had better not get any notion of deviating from it. The woman's place is in the home. The black person's place is to serve his white master.

Part 2 expands on that idea. One big reason why Fundies are so opposed to gay marriage is that it proves that the woman doesn't have to be submissive and the man doesn't have to be the master. The gender roles disappear. A marriage can be based on love, respect, and support instead of submission. It is a lot more complex, but gay couples show it can be done.

But when your theology is built on the man being master of the woman and when theology is built on divine pronouncements you better not question on pain of being cast into Hell, you work all you can to uphold your theology.