thatmom

In the past couple of years, I have come to the conclusion that labeling each other with either “egalitarian” or “complementarian” really doesn’t tell us much about teach other or our marriage relationships, our convictions, etc. I tend to think in terms of a continuum. On one far end are those who embrace the extreme, secular feminists views of abortion-on-demand, gay lifestyles, etc. On the other end of the spectrum are what I call the patriocentrists, those who believe that only men have callings from the Lord and as such, women are placed in a box where only certain roles and behaviors are acceptable, both within and outside the church. The picture I see is somethings like a number line or, if we are talking about numbers of people in these groups, perhaps a bell shaped curve. As Sarah Sumner said so well, I am somewhere in that middle area. I am not comfortable with being labeled. At one time I would have called myself complementarian but that title has been embraced by the Baylys, McDonalds, and many others who are so far down toward the extreme end, if not holding up that end of the banner. So I cannot call myself that because I would not want to have anyone think I agree with those extreme views.

A couple weeks ago our pastor mentioned in his sermon that we tend to look at church history and wonder how in the world believers could have accepted some of the horribly abusive things they did in the past…child labor in England, slavery, etc. I think that, one day, the same will be said about our generation. How was the church ever so passive about abortion? (We have to admit that we are….there is little sense of outrage, IMHO.) And I think the same will be true as far as the roles of women and ministry. There is a spiritual blindness that has its roots in the notions of hierarchy in the same way that slavery and child labor did. And at the root of it was financial gain. I believe there is money to be made in the patriocentric camps and that that is driving much of their agenda. That and the control issues these people have.

I would encourage us to abandon the labels of complementarian and egalitarian and to listen to each others’ perspectives, all believing that God’s word is true. Just my thoughts….