Paula

Yes, labels are a problem. If you’re not patriarchal you must be a radical feminist. If you’re not a Calvinist you must be an Arminian. If you reject evolutionism you must be against science. If you believe in Eternal Security you must be an antinomian.

People start using labels for convenience, really. It’s an easy way to get some general idea of a person’s stance on an issue. The problem is that we all tend to take them way too far and define each other by them, and the definitions keep changing.

My biggest issue with the particular label “complementarianism” is, not only is it an invented word, but it was coined by an organization which formed for the expressed purpose of being against another organization (CBMW formed specifically to counter CBE). Their whole mission is to push against “Biblical Equality”. That’s no different than forming a group to fight against slavery; they are both beliefs in the inherent supremacy of some group of people based solely on genetics. What a way to define one’s “ministry”!