Can they all be wrong? The answer is YES, complementarians are wrong. This writer is not the first, nor will she be the last, to point out that the complementarian view of men and women is not a biblical view. There are many voices crying out in protest that scriptures have been misused and mistranslated in favor of man’s superiority over woman.
Civilizations change and move forward. For well over a thousand years Christ was lost among civilizations, including our own, that sought to enslave others because some believed that they were born to a higher status. The end to slavery did not come about easily. That was because many people used the scriptures to justify owning other human beings – because they wanted to own slaves, and they justified it by scripture which DID NOT SPECIFICALLY TELL THEM NOT TO.
The concept of male divinity is not new. Greek mythology often has superior males called gods who come to earth and mates with earthly females. Similarly, for centuries it was believed that emperors were divine. That is what is happening today with male headship, but to a greater degree than ever before. Previously it was just accepted culture. Today, it is on podcasts, books, preaching, seminars, our U.S. government leaders endorse it, and women will again suffer while we fight this battle.
It is not the Devil that is whispering in women’s ears
Complementarians have decided that it is not just some men who are born to rule over women, but that all men are born to rule over all women. The Devil has been blamed for many things regarding families and marriage. However, we live in the 21st century and we should know that witches and Devils are not whispering in the ears of our working wives and mothers.
Complementarians claim that women are consorting with the Devil when they do not submit to their husbands because they have stepped out of their complementary role. According to complementarians, women should not have careers or work paying jobs outside the home because by doing so they are neglecting their families and this is what the Devil wants.
Theological seminaries teach this, as we have discussed. They are being hypocritical because those same theological seminaries employ thousands of women, as do churches.
Complementarians teach that weakness and susceptibility of women allows the Devil to influence them, even to the point of destroying their families. According to this male headship teaching, the Devil focuses his attack on the family and more importantly, on the wife and mother. They claim that the Devil knows that by destroying the family unit, he destroys part of God’s plan for man.
They claim that if a woman becomes too strong, usurping the authority of the husband, she is guilty of inviting the Devil into the home. They say that when wives submit themselves to their husbands, this enables families to withstand the Devil’s temptations and the onslaughts of the world. This means that husband is stronger on earth than God Himself is.
For around 300 years, thousands of women died when they were accused of being witches by listening to the Devil, and today, millions of women suffer from that same accusation by Christian leaders, under the guise of complementarianism.
The CBMW brings the Devil right inside your homes
The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood’s website, http://www.cbmw.org, brings the Devil right inside your home by their Mission and Values.
Heavily influenced by, and comprised of Southern Baptist leaders, the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood equates women to witches (listens to the Devil) on their website under Missions and Vision #2.
“If families do not structure their homes properly, in disobedience to the teachings of Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3, and Colossians 3, (submissive wives) then they will not have the proper foundation from which to withstand the temptations of the Devil and the various onslaughts of the world. This hinders the sanctification of married couples and also introduces confusion about basic parenting issues such as raising masculine sons and feminine daughters.” (CBMW.org)
Shockingly, this is the same language found in the Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch Hunter’s Bible). Wikipedia quotes Michael Bailey (Battling Demons, 2003, University Press):
“The text argues that women are more susceptible to demonic temptations through the manifold weaknesses of their gender. It was believed that they were weaker in faith and more carnal than men. Michael Bailey claims that most of the women accused as witches had strong personalities and were known to defy convention by overstepping the lines of proper female decorum.” (Such as ‘feminine daughters’ from CBMW referenced above.)
And now Al Mohler wants purification of the church by eliminating women leaders. Burning at the stake is illegal, but destroying women is still the goal, just as it was during the Inquisition, claiming that it is Jesus’ desire. I wonder how those priests who burned women could sleep at night. I wonder how complementarian leaders can sleep at night with the same desire.
Some religious leaders thought they were right, some knew they were wrong, but all thought it was for the good of the Roman Catholic Church. Just as the Southern Baptist Convention and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood thinks it is good for them.
Dad may not know it, but the real enemy who wants to invade his home goes by the names of complementarian, male headship, hierarchy, patriarchy, and male leadership. They are brought to the door by the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) and the Southern Baptist Convention, and, as we have learned recently with governmental leaders placing emphasis on controlling women, by our own United States government.
This blog refutes those claims by outlining the damage this causes, and just plain common sense.
End of series.
Shirley Taylor Books (available on Amazon in print and on Kindle)
The Biblical Marriage Myth: The Devil Comes Calling
The Power of a Book: The Street Evangelist
Raising the Hood: A Christian Look at Manhood and Womanhood
Women Equal: No Buts
Dethroning Male Headship: 2nd Edition
From Wife to Widow: What I Know Now
Beyond the Grave: A Christian Dilemma
