The Biblical instructions God gives to wives regarding submitting to their husband is important. We discuss this topic quite a bit in the eCourse community and encourage the women to embrace Biblical submission. While we acknowledge it isn't a small concept and understanding it and how it plays out
(a woman isn't property of the man she marries,
nor should she join in or endorse sinful behavior - that's *not* submission),
it's also true is that women do *not* need to submit to the man they aren't married to.
This distinction in relationship makes applying the Strength & Dignity material
to a dating situation potentially dangerous. If you are dating or living with someone who expects submission and you are in our eCourse which is for married women where we are encouraging submission, you may be misled into staying in a relationship that isn't safe for you.
And couples who live together are missing a component of commitment that comes with the legal entanglement and social proclamation of marriage.
The discussions we have in the eCourse community with wives who are trying to impact their relationship simply aren't the same as the ones we would have with women who are living with a partner. Additionally, the ceremony of marriage in front of friends and family provides accountability, whereas the activity of merely living together lacks this.
We find that in situations such as dating or living with a partner,
we are not currently prepared to provide full courses in training or education.