A Christian couple became the target of massive backlash after the wife posted their “restrictive” rules for a healthy marriage on the internet and it went viral.
Bailey McPherson, a Christian social media user, garnered viral attention and even sparked headlines after she created and shared a video on TikTok. The clip was titled “Rules my husband and I have for our marriage that make people ANGRY,” and it turns out, Bailey was absolutely right in her assessment. The rules she shared set off a major debate among social media users, some of which were very upset by the video.
According to the TikTok video, Bailey and her husband Zac live by a set of “rules” that they believe lead to a happy, healthy marriage. For example, they have a zero-tolerance policy for pornography. In addition to the “no porn” rule, Bailey and her husband are not permitted to be alone with members of the opposite sex. In fact, “no friends of the opposite sex” are tolerated, according to Bailey’s video.
@bmcpher Part 1? 🤣🤷♀️ #marriage #marriagerules #husbandandwife #christianmarriage #momsoftiktok ♬ BUNNY IS QUEEN – BUNNY 🐰
Other rules the California Christian couple lives by includes no work girlfriends or boyfriends, as well as, “No texting the opposite sex without the other knowing.” The rules seem to be working for the couple who has been happily married since 2018, according to the NY Post. Others, however, found the rules entirely too restrictive, and it wasn’t long before backlash ensued.
As the clip went viral with millions of views, commenters flocked to Bailey’s page in droves to leave nasty comments. Unfortunately for them, she was just getting started as she posted a subsequent video, outlining even more rules that she and Zac live by, including, “No lusting after others (following scandalous pages),” and, “Always put each other first (even over parents).”
@bmcpher Reply to @jmh.816 ask and you shall receive🤭 #marriage #marriagerules #husbandandwife #christianmarriage ♬ BUNNY IS QUEEN – BUNNY 🐰
With the videos raking in millions of views, it wasn’t long before Bailey faced fierce comments, criticizing the couple as being “insecure” and even “insane.” It was so bad, Bailey was forced to disable comments beneath the video, according to The Blaze, but not before receiving these doozies, obtained by the Independent before they were wiped:
- “Tell me you don’t trust your partner without telling me you don’t trust your partner.”
- “LMAO, the fact you think these rules will keep a person faithful shows how delusional you are. A person will do what they want to do.”
- “Sorry this is absolutely insane.”
- “This just sounds like insecurities tbh.”
Bailey McPherson didn’t let the comments sway her beliefs. Instead, she defended her and Zac’s stance in yet another video, which she captioned, “I don’t expect non-Christians to understand Christian marriages.” Not backing down to critics, the mom-of-one also attacked pornography, saying that the absence of the unhealthy outlet creates “stronger intimacy in partnerships,” as well as “healthier body image” and “better emotional health.” She also doubled down, defending the couple’s stance on not having friends of the opposite sex.
“I personally feel like as a married woman, I have no need for companionship with another man that I cannot get with my husband,” Bailey said. “My husband also has no need for a companionship with another woman that he cannot get from his wife.”
@bmcpher Reply to @lindseymethner at the end of the day, I don’t expect non-Christians to understand Christian marriages🤷♀️ #christianmarriage #mukbang #fyp ♬ original sound – Bailey
While her critics found these rules extreme, there were plenty of others who agreed, saying that the rules were a matter of “respecting your partner.” Honestly, if this works for Zac and Bailey McPherson, whose business is it to tell them that they should do otherwise? And, let’s be clear, Bailey isn’t alone in her assessment or her “restrictive” rules. Many Christian couples, including my husband and I, feel the same. But, don’t take our word for it. Instead, let’s take a lesson from Fran Walfish, a relationship psychotherapist based in Beverly Hills, California.
“A lot of cheating episodes occur when boundaries have not been clearly set,” Walfish told The Post while discussing similar rules shared by former second lady Karen Pence after she revealed that her husband doesn’t dine with other women when she isn’t present. “I think it’s excellent that Mike Pence and his wife have taken the time and care to clearly delineate boundary lines that are mutually comfortable,” Walfish added, and I’d say the same applies for Zac and Bailey McPherson. Rather than mocking a happy couple’s habits, perhaps the viewers should consider that their relationship rules might just be beneficial.
