Complementarianism:
Our big theological word for the day. In essence, it is an oversimplification and intentional misrepresentation of scripture for less than godly purposes. This concept is being wielded as a cudgel by some who mistake misogyny for spirituality, and who seem to get their jollies by treating women as second class people.
Jesus elevated women and treated them with dignity, because they are created in his father’s image, as much as God created men in His image. Yes, God has created us different, but He certainly intended us to be equal. Were the roles described by Paul in the New Testament intended for all people for all time, or were they meant as specific directions in a letter to a particular church in a specific place and time? If God changed Peter’s thinking about the role of Gentiles in the kingdom (something a shallow reading of scripture seemingly suggested) then isn’t it possible that we should abandon these complementarian roles as archaic, harmful, and no longer valid? This patriarchalism is cultic, offensive, and needs to be treated as the dangerous threat to the gospel that it is. Read this great article at The Wartburg Watch.