There's a Scripture in the Bible that says a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel. This definitely means financially, but I believe it also applies spiritually and emotionally.
I'm not sure I know what scripture you are refering to - can you provide it, please?
I don't think the woman should have the burden of providing financially for the family. I believe biblically, that is the man's role. She can help, of course (Proverbs 31 woman), but honestly I think the man needs to be in a financially stable enough place where she can stay busy in the home, and rear the children, and not give that role over to someone else (day care, babysitters, grandma, etc).
This is ideal, I agree. But, it is not always possible. I have been on both sides of the argument and don't think - especially in this economy - that the woman staying at home should be a given in a marriage, but a blessing/luxury. It may involve a lot of sacrifice to make it happen, but it is still doable in a lot of cases.
I will honestly tell you, that any good woman does not care about the figure you make. But if you are making 15K working at McDonald's, obviously I am not going to date you, because dating leads to marriage, marriage leads to babies, and you cannot raise a baby on 15K. See the immediate connection? It's a stretch, but it's how a lot of us women think. We never, ever said you have to make exactly $150,500 a year. No one worth being with has a figure in their mind, except one that you can raise a family on.
You kind of contradict yourself, here. lol My take on this is that it would depend on the person's age, the circumstances surrounding their employment (are they a full-time student? did they get laid off from a better paying job and took a lower paying job until something more lucrative comes along, etc.).
I'm pretty sure I'm worth being with
and I am actually the breadwinner in my marriage at the moment. My husband is a full-time student and is out of work on disability due to a back injury at work (which, btw - his boss just fired him this week).
I think anyone worth being with is going to embrace the "for better or worse, richer or poorer" part of the marriage vows and understand that sometimes sacrifices are made, roles are reversed, ideals are not reality, etc.
That said, the person that is right for you (you, general - not you, personally) will have the same or a similar mindset. So, it all works out in the end, IMO.