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Originally Posted by TM875
I believe that in a lot of cultures, including most Muslim countries, it is.
I'm not going to pick apart your statement, but realize how narrowminded and elitest it is. I'm not defending beating women - I would never do that nor condone doing it in the United States - but realize that our culture is not the be all and end all of World Society. Thoughts and comments like yours are part of the reason that a good chunk of the world hates us.
Yes, to us beating women is morally and culturally wrong. So is enslaving children, so is caning prisioners, so is systematically destroying opposing ethnic groups. But realize that this is something that sociologically we, as a society and ONLY our society, have grown to accept. In our past, we have made children slaves (1920s factories), we have used barbaric punishments on prisioners (16 and 1700s), and we have systematically destroyed many original ethnic groups (need I mention the American Indian?). Today, in our world, we would not accept these actions. But we did. And no American hates all Americans because we once did this.
Culture is relative. It may seem okay for us to wear jeans and worship the pop singer on that magazine cover, but the rest of the world may not see it that way. Many find how we live our lives and how we treat other people (yes, even women in our culture) as disgusting. Whose to say who is right?
To believe that we're superior just because we're...us...is to be no better than that man who is beating his wife. In fact, it's worse - he's not trying to make us beat our wives, now is he?
EDIT for clarity: When I refer to "our society" I am referring to the United States and most Western European nations. Please don't use the argument of "other countries support not beating your wife, so then it must be right". That's the fallacy of begging the question.
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I understand what you are saying, but I'd like to clarify a few things in pertaining to your response to my post.
My argument may be elitest, but I don't think it's narrow minded. I am well aware of other cultures, be they for or against beating of women. I have seen first hand, in visiting several middle eastern citys and towns, what this perticular culture is like on the surface. I also had the privlege to stay with a great family there. This family was of the belief that obediance by the women was necessary to keep order in the household. We had many long discussions over dinner (in english, thank God) about the subject. We agreed to dissagree in the end, but I can see where they are coming from. I still consider it to be wrong.
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Originally Posted by TM875
Yes, to us beating women is morally and culturally wrong.
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I'm afraid you lost me. In that you specifically say that beating women is culturally wrong. Then you go on to say that 'culture is relative'.
I was not implying that we (the US) are the perfect society. We are pretty far from it. HOWEVER, I do believe that beating women is wrong. Equating it with Britney Spears and blue jeans is asking a bit much. We make serious mistakes ourselves, but on average our culture does not tolerate beating someone. The husband is clearly not defending himself from physical danger his wife put him in.
I will not argue that obediance from a woman is a cultural difference. I may not see it as fair, but I can understand it. When the situation escalates to violence, however, I still say it's wrong.