Emerging Women

You may have seen the recent story in the news about Saudi courts refusing to annul a marriage of an 8 year old girl to a 47 year old man. The girl’s father had arranged the marriage in settle his debts with the man, but the girl’s mother (who had separated from her husband) was requesting a divorce. The courts turned down the appeal because the mother is not the girl’s legal guardian.

The story offends me on so many different levels. Using women as goods to be bartered with. Selling children. Forcing girls into marriage with older men. The lack of rights of a mother over her children. The list goes on… I think there are very few of us here who don’t find this offensive, but it brought up some questions for me.

I’m just wondering how Christians who insist that divorce is wrong, that wives must submit to their husbands, and that men are the head of the household respond to this. Do they think it is wrong for a divorce to be sought in this case? That the child-wife should just submit? That the decision of the father as head of household is the final word? If not, why is this scenario different than any other? If you believe there is one biblical interpretation for how marriage works can it be suspended for cases like this and why?