I feel really bad that my imprudent posting caused so much arguing. :-(

I always appreciate being stuck up for, but since it was never my intent to teach (something I've clarified with Flannery, and she has clarified why she addressed me) there is no reason to go back and forth about whether or not I have the authority to do so.

I am not sticking up for you.  I am disagreeing with Flannery, if I understand her position correctly.  It does not have anything to do with you, so there is no need for you to feel bad.

I suppose it is on topic to point out that your reaction is typically female.  

Historical situations that I see as analogous to forum discussion are salons and dinner parties.  These were situations that did not involve any teaching or authority and both men and women participated.

Salon culture had a very corrupting influence on society.  Lord Chesterfield (no Catholic, but a notable statesman) points out that the role of women in courts was unfortunate.  He also said that one should not discuss important matters with them.

It really is disgraceful when this happens on a traditional Catholic forum.

It's pretty much how women are taught to react to men who have traditional views.  It's a tactic of cultural marxism.

Referring back to the OP (because I don't feel nearly qualified enough to weigh in on  what Jaynek and Telesphorus are discussing), the first problem to surface in my marriage was what appeared to be a miscommunication.  I would complain about something, my husband would suggest a solution, and I would feel unsupported.

When I took my feelings to prayer, I realized that it was my feelings that were part of the problem.  There's nothing wrong with getting sympathy and commiseration, but you can't expect to have those to the exclusion of anything else.  I have plenty of other female friends who are more than happy to match my own complaints with words of support, commiseration, sympathy, etc.

So, I swallowed my pride and actually listened to what my husband was saying.  When I did that, I realized he offered solid advice that, in the long run, helped me much more than whatever I received emotionally from my female friends.  He was supporting me but just not in the way I had grown accustomed to when I was surrounded primarily by women.

Again, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with emotions and expressing feelings.  And there are times when no solution can be given and the best thing my husband can do is let me cry on his shoulder.  However, there is a season for everything, and God made men the way they are for a reason.

My point is: there was no miscommunication.  We just had to learn how to speak to each other.  I had to realize I had to adjust my own expectations.  And we're the happier for it.

Referring back to the OP (because I don't feel nearly qualified enough to weigh in on  what Jaynek and Telesphorus are discussing), the first problem to surface in my marriage was what appeared to be a miscommunication.  I would complain about something, my husband would suggest a solution, and I would feel unsupported.

When I took my feelings to prayer, I realized that it was my feelings that were part of the problem.  There's nothing wrong with getting sympathy and commiseration, but you can't expect to have those to the exclusion of anything else.  I have plenty of other female friends who are more than happy to match my own complaints with words of support, commiseration, sympathy, etc.

So, I swallowed my pride and actually listened to what my husband was saying.  When I did that, I realized he offered solid advice that, in the long run, helped me much more than whatever I received emotionally from my female friends.  He was supporting me but just not in the way I had grown accustomed to when I was surrounded primarily by women.

Again, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with emotions and expressing feelings.  And there are times when no solution can be given and the best thing my husband can do is let me cry on his shoulder.  However, there is a season for everything, and God made men the way they are for a reason.

My point is: there was no miscommunication.  We just had to learn how to speak to each other.  I had to realize I had to adjust my own expectations.  And we're the happier for it.

This is a great example.  Usually we are told that the way to deal with this difference between men and women is for the men to learn to be like women.  Your response was to learn to appreciate your husband for being a man.  Well done.   :applause:

We are immersed in the denigration of male qualities.  Our culture tries to teach us to think of men as insensitive, violent and dangerous.  Just thinking of men positively and appreciating them for who they are is a blow against feminism.

Some, however, seem to think that, as a woman, I must leave aside the weapon of knowledge and understanding of Church teaching. It is my place, as a soldier of Christ, to fight to the best of my ability.  How can it be right to refuse a weapon that God offers to me and that I have the ability to use?

The citadel of the woman is the home.  

Graham, I wonder if you might tell us where to find the full article /post by Bishop Williamson that you quoted?

Here's the letter quoted.

Here are all of Bishop Williamson's Winona Letters.

"This collection of pastoral epistles by Bishop Richard Williamson was removed from the SSPX website after their contents (along with other comments by the bishop) became an embarrassment to the organisation of which he has for many years been a leading light."

Quote from: MrsZ

Graham, I wonder if you might tell us where to find the full article /post by Bishop Williamson that you quoted?

Here's the letter quoted.

Here are all of Bishop Williamson's Winona Letters.

"This collection of pastoral epistles by Bishop Richard Williamson was removed from the SSPX website after their contents (along with other comments by the bishop) became an embarrassment to the organisation of which he has for many years been a leading light."

Thank you, Graham!

I've really had a lot of trouble finding an exclusively Catholic explanation, describing in detail, how communication is to happen when headship of the husband is recognized.

There's a marriage pamphlet called Understanding Each Other (nihil obstat & imprimitur 1964), from Notre Dame's collection, that discusses communication in marriage.