Lin

I don’t want to be unkind here but I really think there are some very pertinent reasons why people are reacting so vitriolic to this issue and are making it a primary doctrinal hill to die on.

It sells.

Bear with me. At my age, I can look back and see the progression of this issue since I was a teen. There were no terms for it such as egal and comp. People in the church did what had to be done and did not give it a second thought. My mom witnessed and taught men all the time. It was NEVER an issue.

There was a backlash to the culture in the 70’s in some churches and this issue eventually became the whipping girl (blame) for liberalism in doctrinal issues because of feminists and women flocking to seminaries in the 70’s. This was also a time of horrible economics as more and more women were graduating from college and taking white collar jobs. It started with a womans ‘role’ in marriage and spread out from there…encroaching more and more into legalism

Another element is that as it became a focus in the church with more sermons preached on it, books written, seminars, etc. It has become a checklist doctrine of roles and rules. People LOVE this. It is so much easier to follow laws than it is to have faith and an intimate relationship with our Savior. Everyone was looking for the magic bullet for the perfect marriage and these checklists fit the bill. If only I submit more….Don’t appear to be smarter than the men in doctrinal matters, etc. (Some are now even teaching that it is a sin for a woman to work outside the home)

Then, something even more sinister was happening. This issue is a HUGE money maker. Books, CD’s, literature, seminars, etc. on this topic of ‘women roles and/or marriage relationship’ are huge money makers. I know because I was involved in marketing a lot of this stuff. Speaking fees of some of the big name preachers on this issue can be up to 20,000 for an hour! I am serious.

Then you have the whole problem of book blurbs and cross pollenation of an issue. It is a club of sorts. You blurb my book and I will sell your book at my conference sort of thing. I hire you to guest speak at my church and you hire me for your conference. It goes on all the time. These sorts of relationships mean that RARELY is anyone going to admit they may not have gotten a docrtinal point wrong. Even when CBMW is wrong on a technical point, it quietly disappears from their site. These people all are invited to speak all over the place. They have followers.

We cannot dismiss this aspect of it. It has become big business. You would not believe the dollars I saw flowing in and out of it for years. And Cheryl wonders why they refuse to critique her work fairly. Or, even discuss it. They have too much to lose personally.

I know I sound cynical but I worked with and around big names in Christendom and I know that it has become big business. I saw it everyday until I got out. It made me ill. Stil. does.