Head Covering

Genesis 3:1-13 NWT

Now the serpent was the most cautious of all the wild animals of the field that Jehovah God had made. So it said to the woman: “Did God really say that you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” 2 At this the woman said to the serpent: “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. 3 But God has said about the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden: ‘You must not eat from it, no, you must not touch it; otherwise you will die.’” 4 At this the serpent said to the woman: “You certainly will not die. 5 For God knows that in the very day you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and bad.” 6 Consequently, the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was something desirable to the eyes, yes, the tree was pleasing to look at. So she began taking of its fruit and eating it. Afterward, she also gave some to her husband when he was with her, and he began eating it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made loin coverings for themselves. 8 Later they heard the voice of Jehovah God as he was walking in the garden about the breezy part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the face of Jehovah God among the trees of the garden. 9 And Jehovah God kept calling to the man and saying to him: “Where are you?” 10 Finally he said: “I heard your voice in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11 At that he said: “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate.” 13 Jehovah God then said to the woman: “What is this you have done?” The woman replied: “The serpent deceived me, so I ate.”

Watchtower 1978 May 22 p.27

The apostle Paul wrote the following in connection with congregational teaching: “Let a woman learn in silence with full submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach, or to exercise authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. Also, Adam was not deceived, but the woman was thoroughly deceived and came to be in transgression.” (1 Tim. 2:11-14) “Let the women keep silent in the congregations, for it is not permitted for them to speak, but let them be in subjection, even as the Law says. If, then, they want to learn something, let them question their own husbands at home, for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in a congregation.” —1 Cor. 14:34, 35.
These inspired words encouraged women to listen attentively to the teaching provided by the appointed men. The women were to remain silent, not attempting to share in giving public instruction.
By their attitude and actions, Christian women were to show that they fully submitted to the congregational arrangement for teaching. It would have been inappropriate for a woman to raise a question publicly, thereby putting herself forward as disagreeing with the men or implying that their teaching lacked clarity. Such public questioning would reveal a lack of humility and modesty on a woman’s part and would disrupt the order and seriousness that should exist at a congregational meeting. At home, on the other hand, questions might be raised and the believing husband could help his wife to see things in the right perspective. Such questioning at home would not reflect unfavorably upon the wife and result in her being viewed as unduly forward and lacking modesty.
In pointing out that it was wrong for a woman to place herself in the position of a teacher, the apostle Paul was not relying on his own judgment. He was appealing to Scriptural authority. The first book of the Bible, Genesis, was included under the designation of the Law or the Torah. That section of the Torah made it clear that man, not woman, was to serve as a teacher. Adam was formed first, and so his wife had much to learn from him, including such things as the names of the various animals. (Gen. 2:18-23) It was when Eve failed to take her husbandly head into consideration that she got herself into difficulty. She was completely deceived by the Devil’s lie conveyed by means of a serpent. —Gen. 3:1-6.
Rightly, then, Christian women were to act in harmony with the truth set forth in the Genesis account. They were also to acknowledge their subordinate role by wearing a head covering when praying or prophesying. —1 Cor. 11:3-6.

Excerpt from a talk by Samuel Herd (current Governing Body member)

“You know, scientists say that the cranial capacity of a woman is 10% smaller than that of a man so now this shows that she’s just not equipped for the role of headship. Her role is one of subjection to the man. Her role is that of submissiveness and that means that she should recognize that she is a woman and be glad to be a woman. Never want to be what you are not equipped to be. … Sometimes we hear her say, “oh if-if-if-if I-I were a man I’d do this and I’d do that as if to be wishing to be something that she is not designed to be. Do you know what that borders on? That borders on homosexuality. And do you know what the Devil is doing nowadays? He’s taking women who want to be men and makes men out of them. …” The Value of Our Theocratic Sisters” Samuel Herd, Oakland CA 1971

Watchtower 2012 Feb 15 p.29

“Selma recalls a lesson she learned from the Witness who studied with her. “On one particular day,” says Selma, “I didn’t want to have a Bible study. The night before, Steve had hit me as I had tried to prove a point, and I was feeling sad and sorry for myself. After I told the sister what had happened and how I felt, she asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. As I did, I began to reason, ‘Steve never does any of these loving things for me.’ But the sister made me think differently by asking, ‘How many of those acts of love do you show toward your husband?’ My answer was, ‘None, for he is so difficult to live with.’ The sister softly said, ‘Selma, who is trying to be a Christian here? You or Steve?’ Realizing that I needed to adjust my thinking, I prayed to Jehovah to help me be more loving toward Steve. Slowly, things started to change.”After 17 years, Steve accepted the truth.

The Soul has Bandaged moments by Emily Dickinson

The Soul has Bandaged moments –
When too appalled to stir –
She feels some ghastly Fright come up
And stop to look at her –

Salute her, with long fingers –
Caress her freezing hair –
Sip, Goblin, from the very lips
The Lover – hovered – o’er –
Unworthy, that a thought so mean
Accost a Theme – so – fair –

The soul has moments of escape –
When bursting all the doors –
She dances like a Bomb, abroad,
And swings opon the Hours,

As do the Bee – delirious borne –
Long Dungeoned from his Rose –
Touch Liberty – then know no more –
But Noon, and Paradise

The Soul’s retaken moments –
When, Felon led along,
With shackles on the plumed feet,
And staples, in the song,

The Horror welcomes her, again,
These, are not brayed of Tongue –

I am Everything You Hate

The religious fanatic peddling God
The wishy-washy indecisive wimp
The parent that makes her child a freak
The negative thinker; the self-pitier
The apostate, the heretic, the ungrateful independent thinker
The woman that probably wants to steal your man
The friend who’s going to drag you down
The daughter that has thrown all you worked so hard to instill away
The sister that shuns you forever
The wife seducing you to eat the apple
The mother who abandoned you
These are all things I became because I wanted your love
Now I give you the freedom you never gave me
Judge me, spit on me, set me on fire
Walk past and spit in my face
I will rub it on my skin
And let it sink down
To where the
Poison tree
Grows.