Thread by @DavidDzimianski

One of the deep secrets of complementarianism is that it's endgame isn't wives submitting to their husbands.

Rather, it is about church congregations submitting to the pastor.

The husband-wife relationship is just one way of achieving that goal.

I've repeatedly seen pastors override "wifely submission" and claim authority over a woman b/c her husband isn't in line with the pastor - whether a non-Christian, differences of opinion, or simply not as "engaged" as the pastor wants on the pastor's mission.

I've seen complementarian pastors try to pit a wife against her husband when the husband disagrees with the pastor.

I've seen pastors shut down questions from women by telling her to "submit" to her husband, then manipulating the man behind the scenes to make sure *he* doesn't ask the same questions.

In the end, complementarianism is (by it's own definition) about power - and as such is fully incompatible with the teachings of Jesus.

I'm glad that not all self-identified complementarians act out these things, but that doesn't change the core of what the doctrine is.

This is the dominant reason that pastors and influential theologians keep pushing complementarianism: not b/c it's biblical (it isn't), but b/c it builds and protects their system of power.

A system which, incidentally, pays their salaries.