A Theft In Nashville

 

A Theft In Nashville

Robert L. Withers, August 20, 2022

 

As you may have heard or read, the United States Department of Justice is investigating the Southern Baptist Convention regarding sexual abuse. There is a long history behind this, and, as is often the case, it contains heartbreaking stories of those who were sinned against being silenced by those in power. Here is an excerpt from a statement made by the leadership of the SBC on August 12, 2022, in response to the DOJ investigation:

 

“While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future.”

 

This statement demonstrates that the leadership of the SBC, if we may call it such, doesn’t get it, anymore than the Roman Catholic Church seems to get it, anymore than – I suppose – most church organizations and “ministries” and “Christian” schools and colleges get it.  It seems we always have an excuse, a reason, a denial, a cover up…even as we inflict yet more pain on victims by telling them to shut up or paying them to just go away with non-disclosure agreements. Or, as in the case with residential schools, whether they be in North America or Ireland or elsewhere…we literally bury our “mistakes” and excesses.

 

Biblical language is vital to a professing Christian’s thinking, as is obedience to God’s Word. When we substitute other images and ideas and use language which does not portray Biblical language and clearly communicate Biblical thinking, then we have a problem, then we have a smokescreen, then we have denial. Consider the following from the above SBC statement:

 

“…grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse…”

 

What happened to sin? What happened to the heinousness of sin? What happened to repentance? What happened to accountability to God, His Word, and the Church? What happened to the disgusting way in which people in power, in offices of ministry, use that power and trust to gratify their sinful lust by stealing innocence and trust and purity and peace from women and men and boys and girls and families and congregations? And then others in power engage in cover up, protecting these men – and they do it within systems that allow and encourage them to propagate the cover up…where is the acknowledgment of this?

 

If a system and culture allow such things to happen, and protects those in power, often crushing those who have already been deeply hurt – ought we not to look at the system? Ought we not to consider that the system itself is sick and sinful?

 

“Sexual abuse”?  “Mistakes”? Really now. What about sin? What about a class of sin that the Bible clearly portrays as being from the pit of hell? I am speaking of false teachers who take advantage of those in their power (see 2 Peter Chapter 2 and Jude). Yes, there are levels of sin, and certainly the most egregious sin (if we can use such a term) is that of those in a position of power, whether minister, priest, pastor, elder, teacher, counselor, or physician (or a political leader), who use their position to prey on others – whether by false teaching or other sinful actions. The Bible is replete with passages condemning and judging those in power who deceive and misuse and sin against those they lead and are called to serve…whether these people are within or without the professing People of God – though most of the Bible’s focus is on those within the Kingdom of God.

 

The therapeutic language used in the above quote from the SBC is indicative of the language used by other “Christian” organizations for sin, and this is a repudiation of the Bible in that Jesus Christ did not come to redeem us from mistakes, but from sin; and in that the Bible does not judge our mistakes, but our sin; and further in that the Church of Jesus Christ is not called to judge mistakes within herself, but rather sin.

 

This language minimizes the harm and violence and desecration perpetrated on the innocent, as well as upon the Bride of Christ. It displays an absence of the fear of God (2 Cor. 5:9 – 11; 1 Tim. 5:20; 1 Cor. 3:16 – 17).

 

Furthermore, such thinking downplays the high calling of Gospel ministry, for Gospel ministry is a position of sacred trust; trust that God and the Church have placed within those called to serve others. When positions of trust are violated, the violators must be removed from their positions of trust and not be reinstated. The Flock of God needs to be protected, just as patients need to be protected when a physician perpetrates sin on those who trust him.

 

Those who coverup sin and give violators protection, allowing them to continue in their wickedness, for it is indeed wickedness, become partakes of these sins.

 

As we see in 1 Timothy 5:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:11, fear is a good thing; and while we all ought to fear sin, those in positions of authority ought to especially fear violating the sacred trust which they have been given – and they ought to know that should they violate the trust which God and the Church have placed in them, that they will be removed from their positions never again to serve in such capacity. Godly fear protects us all. A physician ought to fear losing his medical license for violating patients, and those in Church leadership ought to fear the consequences of perpetrating sexual sin on others.

 

A high view of the Bible, of the Bride of Christ, and of leadership within the Church (which is really servanthood (Matthew 20:24 – 27), brings with it a recognition that a violation of trust has dire consequences. Attorneys can be disbarred, doctors can lose their licenses, C.P.A.s can lose their certifications; barbers, real estate agents, taxi drivers, contractors, electricians, plumbers – all of these men and women can be removed from their positions if they violate ethical and legal standards – how much greater ought to be the consequences when a minister, priest, teacher, or elder perpetrates sexual sin on other people?

 

And let’s keep in mind the violence done to the victim’s heart, mind, and soul; the pain inflicted on families, on congregations, and the discredit done to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How can we use therapeutic language in light of the foregoing? Such language is yet another coverup, yet another theft.