There is a difference between the bible's description of a VIRTUOUS WOMAN, and MEN's description of it.

A pastor told me that it is såtanic for a woman to opt for divorce when she's maltreated in her marriage. That a virtuous woman, even when abused by her husband, still endures, submits, and doesn't leave the marriage, that it's the work of a woman to keep her home.

I am sorry to say, but this is a man whose level in church hierarchy as a pastor is quite prestigious.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement, but then we have a culture, I see a pattern in Africa; especially the religious Nigerian setting.

That the virtuousness of a woman is a function of how much trash she can take from her man without complaining..
That her wife competence is a result of how well she can suffer in secret and smile in public.. I have read Proverbs 31 countless number of times where the term (virtuous woman) originated from and I didn't find any statement that says expressly, or suggest remotely that, "A VIRTUOUS WOMAN must take Nonsense from a man with smiles and loving kisses".

This is disturbing if this is what being virtuous mean.

Because this reduces women to elements; expected not to have feelings, expected not to have relevant dissatisfaction.

And, this pattern, empowers religious men to do whatever they want, believing that their women will respond in a default cool and calm way, even if they stãbbed them.

So, most religious men feel less responsible for their marriage condition..
Because they believe their wives response to their all messy acts will be meek.

This is so unrealistic to expect from a woman; a human.

If you stàb a man, will you not expect him to shout?
Why then do we expect a woman would be treated bad but she shouldn't speak out?
Do women have less neurological sensibilities that do not recognise pain?

We would come to the end of this gender issues when we realise that women are first humans, before gender.
Hence, more or less should not be expected from a woman than a man, she is human much as the man.

This is why I frown at what we call VIRTUOUS WOMAN..
As complementing as this might sound to an average woman, I find it vague and subtle, and could be a pointer to a pattern; a pattern that expects you to obligatorily take nonsense, and keep shut because you're a woman.

This is why when men say they want submissive wives, I blink, not because submissiveness is not cool, but because some men amongst us have conditioned submissiveness to be when they are stupid, irresponsible, uncultured, unfaithful and uncommitted, and you as a woman is calm, loving, and still understanding.

And this defies common sense.

So if I were a woman, I'd not be a virtuous woman. This kind of virtuous, I'd not be this africa religious kinda good woman. No.
It's inhumane.

When a man says he wants a virtuous woman, dig deep. It sounds sweet but could be a trap. A trap of his irresponsibility. The same bible that describe the virtuous woman also tells us the duty of a worthy husband. He must love his wife as Christ loves the church to the point of death. The bible never set out to make slaves out of women.