Contact: Waneta Dawn, 319-471-5276, wanetadawn@yahoo.com  

MEDIA ADVISORY, Nov. 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- There is a scourge attacking our churches today. It acts like leaven or a virus. It spreads from man to man, causing those who are afflicted by it to become selfish, mean, and brutal toward their families. Christian leaders like Bruce Ware, John Piper, and James Dobson excuse it as part of a husband's authority role or blame it on the wives. The leaven is "verbal unkindness" and "smacking" according to John Piper, "trampling" according to the Kendrick brothers, "domestic violence" according to secular authorities, and "sin" according to God.

Now that Christians have become aware of domestic violence, it is time the church becomes a force that confronts evil. The law of the land punishes those who assault physically, but Jesus said God has a higher standard. When a husband beats his wife with words, demands, putdowns, or assaults, he is murdering her in his heart. If Christians do not hold him accountable, they are allowing the leaven of sin to remain among them and spread throughout the church.

To stop the growth of this leaven, Christians must educate themselves about the devastating effects of the sin of domestic abuse, and the tactics and misapplication of church doctrine abusers use to subjugate and humiliate their wives and children. They must be able to recognize abuse so they can support victims, hold abusers accountable, and in the long term reduce the necessity for divorce among Christians.

"Behind the Hedge," a double award-winning novel by Waneta Dawn, is an excellent resource to learn about scripture-misusing domestic violence in a Christian family. Instead of showing isolated abusive events, "Behind the Hedge" puts them in context and invites the reader to feel the day to day pain, humiliation, and confusion of each family member, and to follow the self-serving, fact-twisting, wife-blaming reasoning of the abusive husband.

Luke Miller insists his wife must submit to him. As Yvette Miller grapples with Luke's demands, her friend, Delores, reminds her that Ephesians 5 tells husbands to love their wives self-sacrificially. As Yvette battles to apply scriptural submission, Luke steps over the line in his quest for authority. Still wanting to save their marriage, Yvette consults her mother, who wisely suggests a path that offers redemption.

Order "Behind the Hedge" through Amazon, bookstores, or the author.
E-mail Waneta Dawn at wanetadawn@yahoo.com or phone at 319-471-5276
For information or to order, see: www.wanetadawn.com