WHY AREN’T MORE CHRISTIANS OUTRAGED BY SEXUAL HARASSMENT SCANDALS?
Let’s discuss what we should be saying as Free Methodists – comment below.
In a recent article in RELEVANT magazine, Samantha Field asks the question: Why aren’t more Christians Outraged by Sexual Harassment Scandals? Turning the question on its head she walks with us through her own experience of rape and harassment and points out that in the church the objectification of women, the subjugation of women and the excusing of leaders works together in ways that can cause the church to be silent when we should be speaking out.
This paragraph is something that caused the FMC to rewrite our discipline in cases of Pastoral sexual abuse to make sure that we care for the victim of these who abuse their position of trust and influence:
“Christians tend to place more value on our male leaders than on the women they hurt. Just this week, the #ThingsOnlyChristianWomenHear tag was trending on Twitter. In the time I was reading it, the number of women who said “Don’t tell anyone he assaulted you, or you’ll harm his ministry,” was in the dozens. As heartbreaking as that is, it’s all too common. I have been told—twice—that telling the truth about a man harassing me or assaulting me would “harm the Lord’s work,” and I should keep silent about it.
No one wants to acknowledge that our leaders have feet of clay, but it seems that when our political or religious goals are at stake, we’re not just oblivious. Instead, we defend our leaders with an eagerness that over the last year has beggared belief.
This willingness to either defend or ignore these abusive actions is damaging our credibility and our Christian witness. According to a Washington Post poll released this week, around 14 percent of the Christians surveyed left their church after the election, and they did so because of political support for a man who seems to be the antithesis of core Christian doctrines to love God and love our neighbor.”
To read the entire article click here.