GRACE Champions a Petition on Sexual Abuse Addressed to the Church

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim…silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
Elie Weisel

1842_FrancisJackson_petition_2_Boston_CityArchives-1Francis Jackson 1842 petition to abolish slavery Wikicommons

I dedicate this post to SGM victims who made it real for me. Thank you. You are the heroes in this battle.

Link to petition at the end of the post.

I decided to interrupt our planned post for today to get this message out. Boz Tchividjian at G.R.A.C.E.has championed a petition which deals with the abysmal response  to sexual abuse within the Church. The acronym G.R.A.C.E. stands for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment.

Background on GRACE and Boz Tchividjan

Here is part of the mission of GRACE as stated on their website here.

The Mission of GRACE is to empower the Christian community through education and training to recognize and respond to the sin of child abuse.

…the Church often lacks the wisdom needed to address the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of these young victims. The consequence to this failure is that the Christian community fails to understand how to “welcome these little children in the name of Christ”. These children (and their families) often leave the Church to seek “answers” from the same world that places so little value on their existence. Clearly, this does not honor and glorify the One who gave Himself for us.

Here is Boz Tchividjian's biography from this site.

Basyle ’Boz’ Tchividjian, J.D.

GRACE Founder & Professor of Law, Liberty University School of Law, Lynchburg, VA

Born in Vevey, Switzerland, Boz grew up in south Florida, and spent the past 14 years in central Florida after attending Stetson University. He is a former Assistant State Attorney, Seventh Judicial Circuit (1994-2001). While in that position, he was chief Prosecutor, Sexual Crimes Division, where he gained much experience in cases involving sexual abuse and harassment. In 2001, Boz joined the law firm of Landis, Graham, French, P.A. in DeLand, Florida. Landis, Graham, French, P.A. was formed in 1902 and is one of the oldest law firms in the State of Florida. During his time at ’Landis’, Boz developed his practice primarily in the areas of Labor & Employment, Personal Injury, and Probate & Estate. He also served for many years as an Adjunct Professor at Stetson University. During his time in central Florida, Boz also served as the attorney for the Child Advocacy Center in Daytona Beach, Florida , as well as serving as a member of the Advisory Board for the Center. He served as Lecturer for the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association Seminars and as a Speaker at the Florida Conference on Child Abuse . He has also lectured extensively in the area of business ethics.In late 2003, Boz helped found G.R.A.C.E. He has spend the past  years developing GRACE and creating relationships with other Christian organizations who have a similar passion concerning this subject. Boz has also spoken extensively on this subject at various events including the conferences sponsored by the American Association of Christian Counselors and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA)  Boz and his family live near Lynchburg, Virginia where he serves as a law professor at Liberty University School of Law.  

Boz is blessed to be a grandson of Dr. Billy Graham. 

Here is a link to the rest of the board members.

TWW's take on the petition

TWW believes that GRACE is in a unique position to influence the recalcitrant church on what we consider to be the evangelical scandal of our generation. We urge our readers to consider signing this petition. Please forward the link and ask your friends to do the same. Let us act boldly and be out in front of this battle.

I also want to thank those of you who read this blog who have stood up in your churches for justice for the abused. You have suffered the loss of church membership and friends for doing so. TWW stands ready to post your stories, if you wish, and will pray for your strength. One day you will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." To all of you who have shared stories of your own abuse, we never fail to pray for you. The last paragraph of the petition says it all.

The following was posted today, 7/17/2013, at this link. I am formatting it with paragraphs, bolding and bullet points to make it an easier read. These are not present in the original petition at GRACE which can be found at the link at the beginning of this paragraph. No words have been deleted, altered or changed.

A Public Statement Concerning Sexual Abuse In The Church of Jesus Christ

Recent allegations of sexual abuse and cover-up within a well known international ministry and subsequent public statements by several evangelical leaders have angered and distressed many, both inside and outside of the Church. These events expose the troubling reality that, far too often, the Church’s instincts are no different than from those of many other institutions, responding to such allegations by moving to protect her structures rather than her children.

This is a longstanding problem in the Christian world, and we are deeply grieved by the failures of the American and global Church in responding to the issue of sexual abuse. We do not just believe we should do better; as those who claim the name of Jesus and the cause of the Gospel, we are convinced we must do better.

In the hope that a time is coming when Christian leaders respond to all sexual abuse with outrage and courage, we offer this confession and declare the Good News of Jesus on behalf of the abused, ignored and forgotten.

Through the media we have been confronted with perpetual reports of grievous sexual abuse and its cover-up. Institutions ranging from the Catholic Church, various Protestant churches and missionary organizations, Penn State, Yeshiva University High School, the Boy Scouts, and all branches of our military have been rocked by allegations of abuse and of complicity in silencing the victims. And while many evangelical leaders have eagerly responded with outrage to those public scandals, we must now acknowledge long-silenced victims who are speaking out about sexual abuse in evangelical Christian institutions: schools, mission fields and churches, large and small.

And we must confess we have done far too little to hear and help them. Holocaust survivor and author, Elie Weisel, once said,

“Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim…silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

When we choose willful ignorance, inaction or neutrality in the face of evil, we participate in the survival of that evil. When clergy, school administrations, boards of directors, or military commanders have been silent or have covered up abuse, they have joined with those who perpetrate crimes against the “little ones” – often children, but also others who are on the underside of power because of size, age, position or authority.

It goes without saying that sexual abuse is criminal, but within the Church we also believe that it is the work of the enemy of our souls — evil, horrific sin perpetrated in dark and hidden places, forever altering lives and destroying the faith of the abused. How could such evil be present and overlooked in the body of Christ?

Surely as his followers, we would do everything in our power to expose the deeds of darkness, opening the mouths of the mute, the afflicted and the needy. The Church must never hinder those who so desperately need to run to God and his people for safety, hope and truth, while also providing them protection from the great deceiver. But we have hindered the victims.

By our silence and our efforts to protect our names and institutions and “missions,” we, the body of Christ, have often sided with an enemy whose sole purpose is and has always been to destroy the Lamb of God and his presence in this world. Our busyness and inattention have often resulted in complicity in allowing dark places that shelter abuse to fester and survive.

We must face the truths of our own teachings:

  • To be a shepherd in the body of Christ and blind to the knowledge that your sheep are being abused by wolves in your midst is to be an inattentive shepherd.
  • To judge merely by outward appearances is a failure of righteousness.
  • To fail to obey the laws of the land as Scripture commands by declining to report and expose abuse is to be a disobedient shepherd.
  • To be told that wolves are devouring our lambs and fail to protect those lambs is to be a shepherd who sides with the wolves who hinder those same little ones from coming to Jesus.
  • To fail to grasp the massive web of deception entangling an abuser and set him or her loose among the sheep is to be naïve about the very nature and power of sin.
  • To be told a child is being or has been abused and to make excuses for failing to act is a diabolical misrepresentation of God.
  • To know a woman is being raped or battered in hidden places and silence her or send her back is to align with those who live as enemies of our God.

Protecting an institution or organization rather than a living, breathing lamb is to love ministry more than God and to value a human name or institution more than the peerless name of Jesus.

Dear church of Jesus Christ, we must set aside every agenda but one: to gently lead every man, woman and child into the arms of our Good Shepherd, who gave his very life to rescue us from the clutches of our enemy and from sin and death — who rose from the dead and called us to the safety of his side.

As we follow this Good Shepherd, we will

“eliminate harmful beasts from the land, make places of blessing for the sheep, deliver them from their enslavers and make them secure in places where no one will make them afraid” (Ezekiel 34:25-28).

Surely it is for such a time as this that the Church has been empowered to boldly and bravely embody the Good News to accusers and accused alike, and to forsake our own comfort and position to love the hurting with an illogical extravagance.

To all who have been abused, broken, deceived and ignored, we have failed you and our God. We repent for looking nothing like our Lord when we have silenced you, ignored you or moved away from you and then acted as if you were the problem. You are not the problem; you are the voice of our God calling his church to repentance and humility. Thank you for having the courage to speak truth. May God have mercy on us all and oh may the day come when his church reflects the indescribable love and compassion of Jesus, even to the point of laying down our lives for his precious sheep.

Dated this 17th day of July, 2013.

Click here to sign this statement along with the many others who have done so already

Dee is #131 on the petition. Please let us know which number you are!

Lydia's Corner: 2 Kings 17:1-18:12 Acts 20:1-38 Psalm 148:1-14 Proverbs 18:6-7

Comments

GRACE Champions a Petition on Sexual Abuse Addressed to the Church — 112 Comments

  1. Thanks for posting this, Dee. I’m #135.

    Ladies and gents, please sign and stand with those who weep.

  2. I’ve signed and now I want to tell again a story I have told before here and at SGMSurvivors. It’s a story of God’s providential timing. As I’ve shared on TWW before, I was part of an SGM church (Fairfax) for 12 years. For much of that time, I was very close to Noel’s family. http://www.sgmsurvivors.com/the-stories/ I knew about the rape of Noel’s daughter, in fact, before she did; because I was there when the young perpetrator confessed to his mother (I was also very close to that family.) It took some months and there were some other issues (see my story on TWW) but the treatment of Noel’s family by SGM Fairfax; the coddling of the perp and his family (which fostered an atmosphere where several more instances of sexual abuse occurred;) and the cover-up that put other children at risk drove me out of that church.

    On a Sunday in May of 2002 I walked out and have never been back. I was completely out of touch with anyone I knew from the church (except Noel) until around 2005, including friendships going back 30 years. That summer, I got back in touch with my oldest friend (who had also left by then) and arranged to have lunch with her to catch up. During the far-ranging lunch conversation among myself, my friend, and our two grown daughters; her daughter told us about the SGM Survivors website.

    I visited it and told Noel about it. She decided to post her story and she read the stories of other families. For most of them, that was when they found out that they weren’t alone. The families connected and out of that connection came the lawsuit and the events which have followed; leading to this petition and to the change that IS coming in the church.

    It was a painful and damaging thing to be part of; but remembering how God has brought good out of evil gives me hope and should give hope to us all.

  3. I’ve signed the petition on The Petition Site. Let’s hope and pray this becomes a groundswell of righteous wrath for those who cover up sexual abuse in the church.

  4. I’m 198 and passing it on. I’ve been pleading for righteousness within the Kingdom. Thank you Lord for moving now. Please let us, your church, proceed with courage and love. Please bring the guilty to a godly sorrow that leads to a spectacular repentance, and the victims to a wholeness and healing with no trace of shame. We are with you!

  5. Have signed it.
    Hoping all forms of abuse (physical /emotional) but especially sexual, are no longer accepted /hidden in our churches.

  6. I signed it #76! I don’t see any names of Baptist pastors on the statement. Did I miss one? It’s now been a month since the SBC passed their abuse resolution that urges all churches to report abuse and cooperate fully with law enforcement. As far as I know, Prestonwood Baptist, a megachurch and prominent church in the SBC, has not done that, though the executive pastor Mike Buster told me in an email 2 1/2 years ago that they would “cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies concerning this matter.” http://www.scribd.com/doc/141668494/Email-from-Mike-Buster

    As a follow up to my story…at my husband’s request he met with HFBC pastor Gregg Matte a few weeks ago. Doug Bischoff and another pastor were present. Gregg Matte requested that the meeting be kept confidential so as to “not end up in a blog post.” My husband asked Gregg who it was within/from the SBC called him about me and my blog and plans to hold a SNAP awareness event at the SBC annual meeting, but Gregg refused to tell him. We feel we have a right to know.

  7. Amy Smith wrote:

    As a follow up to my story…at my husband’s request he met with HFBC pastor Gregg Matte a few weeks ago. Doug Bischoff and another pastor were present. Gregg Matte requested that the meeting be kept confidential so as to “not end up in a blog post.”

    Amy, this is why none of them will talk to me anymore. I refuse to do the “confidential” thing. Everything hidden will one day be made known. I don’t think pastors really get that one. They don’t get a pass because of a title.

  8. Amy Smith wrote:

    at my husband’s request he met with HFBC pastor Gregg Matte a few weeks ago. Doug Bischoff and another pastor were present. Gregg Matte requested that the meeting be kept confidential so as to “not end up in a blog post.” My husband asked Gregg who it was within/from the SBC called him about me and my blog and plans to hold a SNAP awareness event at the SBC annual meeting, but Gregg refused to tell him. We feel we have a right to know.

    Amy, I wouldn’t be able to bear it. I mean, your husband had to go without you (cuz “female-not-so-good”) to meet two other men about you. They demand that the meeting be kept confidential (cuz scary scary blawgs) and then refuse to tell your husband who it was that wouldn’t talk with you but sicced the police instead.

    These guys are just plain cowards. Humbug to their BS about their made-for-leadership manliness.

  9. I remember signing it this morning under my real name, but I can’t find my name on the signature list.

  10. Amy Smith wrote:

    I signed it #76! I don’t see any names of Baptist pastors on the statement. Did I miss one?

    Ever heard of La Omerta?

  11. I’m on there but I can’t say what number as then my screen name would then be literal instead of tongue in cheek.

  12. formerly anonymous wrote:

    I’m on there but I can’t say what number as then my screen name would then be literal instead of tongue in cheek.

    Of course! That was dumb of me. I forgot that most people use pseudonyms here. The brain is going…

  13. I’m thrilled about this petition! Way to go, Boz.

    Now we’ll see how many Gospel Coalition bloggers and council members sign, or maybe don’t they really *want* to help innocent children and expose child sexual abuse.

    For example, what about C.J. Mahaney and his friends Mark Dever, Ligon Duncan, and Al Mohler? How about Don Carson, Kevin DeYoung, and Justin Taylor, those who have cheered and sided with C.J. Mahaney, the highest ranking defendant in the cover up lawsuit?

    And let’s hear from the faculty at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Al Mohler’s school that received $200,000 in donations from C.J.Mahaney and his closely directly ministries.

    And how about a few *more* members and pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches?

    And let’s hear from the staff of Christianity Today and World Magazine, the online newspapers that haven’t run one single headline on the Sovereign Grace Ministries child sex abuse and coverup lawsuit on their main headline sites since the horrifying May 14 allegations became public and names were named. This lawsuit alleges 25 years of acts by a pedophile ring and cover ups by leaders who knew about it.

    How about Russell D. Moore, the new President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission?

    The world is watching.

  14. Janey wrote:

    And let’s hear from the faculty at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Al Mohler’s school that received $200,000 in donations from C.J.Mahaney and his closely directly ministries.

    Doesn’t child sex abuse matter to them?

  15. I signed it. No clue what number. Didn’t see numbers or the list of names from my view. Thanks for putting this up D&D.

  16. Anon 1 wrote:

    Janey, some of those guys are more likely to sign and pretend nothing happened.

    I’m just waiting to see who goes first…

  17. Dee wrote:

    Janey wrote:

    And let’s hear from the faculty at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Al Mohler’s school that received $200,000 in donations from C.J.Mahaney and his closely directly ministries.

    Doesn’t child sex abuse matter to them?

    Child sex abuse has no significance compared to Perfectly-Parsed Theology and Culture War Without End, Amen.
    (HUMBLY, of course.)

  18. oldJohnJ wrote:

    Headless Unicorn Guy wrote:

    I remember signing it this morning under my real name, but I can’t find my name on the signature list.

    HUG, my first try failed: I didn’t select a prefix.

    I don’t remember selecting a prefix, either. Will try again.

  19. Signed (using my real name) and it looks like it took.
    #473.

    It’s already pushing 500 the first day on the blogs; at this rate, they should have the 10,000 in three weeks or so.

  20. This is so great to see. This is my first time over here today. This morning I posted the same thing on my blog and within 30 minutes, I recognized close to 10 of my readers and now I come here and see all the great response here – woohoo!!

  21. #479. Tears came to my eyes as I was signing the petition to realize it’s for me, too, as a survivor of DV who was thrown under the bus by my church. I’ve moved on and am helping others but there will always be a scar. Nothing helps heal that tender place like a man who has the courage and compassion to step up to the plate and be Jesus with skin on. I have nothing but utmost respect for Boz Tchividjian.

  22. I am curious. I see the lady who signed as #505 is from “QL.” Does anyone know where that is?

  23. As a mother of multiple sex abuse survivors, I can’t express how thankful I am for this petition and the ongoing work of G.R.A.C.E.
    And thank you Deb and Dee for posting the petition, those words were healing to us.

  24. My heart breaks first and foremost for Jesus. After all, isn’t He the reason why we were going to these churches? His heart breaks every time a precious one has been hurt by those who are “suppose” to shepherd and care for and protect His flock. We were only in SGM (Grace Community, PA), years ago, for a little over 7 yrs. The control, manipulation, false humility and “corporation” mentality made me cry out in my prayer closet many a morning and night. The spirit of Jezebel and Lust are the ones in control in this organization, and until there is repentance……fasting, weeping between the porch and the altar, rending their hearts, crying out for mercy (Joel 2:12-17), along with spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:12),these leaders are too steeped in their own agenda. The Lord can easily heal the broken, but He is a Gentleman, and He will not invade the hard hearts that do not cry out to Him………may these guilty ones cry out and turn from their pride and arrogance and seek forgiveness.

  25. I just signed but I do not see my name yet. Maybe it’ll appear in a few minutes. I was surprised to see the name/signature of someone I knew in the PCA church I grew up in. Yay! I sign not only for myself, but in the name of my Heavenly Father and of my five children and the sixth one due in just a few weeks. May God use this petition to exact a massive heart change in the Christian community!

  26. Just noticed on the G.R.A.C.E. homepage they feature a link to an article by Justin Holcomb, who is connected with ‘executive’ leadership at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle and also has various titles all in connection with Driscoll’s other corporate entities (reminiscent of the ‘octopus’ analogy of tentacles reaching everywhere). A Google search turns up plenty that should raise concerns. A search on TWW will cause the hairs to raise on your neck. How do seemingly decent people, like Holcomb, get enmeshed with such abusive organizations?

  27. Does it matter whether the petition is signed big the “reformed big boys” and their supporters or not? I have come to the conclusion that I don’t care. Because what they say and what they do, other than confess their sin against the “least of these”and repent of it, doesn’t matter to me. I feel that they have been shown to be what they are, and I have no more regard for their signatures over any of the other signatories. In fact, I may have less, because I have seen them twist and turn to advance their own agenda and I am not sure I can tell the difference between what they might do that is good and the normal stuff they do.

    The petition stands in its own right. It doesn’t become more valid by having Mohler and Mahaney and Wilson and Tom and Jerry sign it. If no-one ever signed it, it would still be true. I think it would speak volumes about the church if ten thousand names of us “nones” are affixed to it. We are the church.

  28. TedS. wrote:

    Just noticed on the G.R.A.C.E. homepage they feature a link to an article by Justin Holcomb, who is connected with ‘executive’ leadership at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle and also has various titles all in connection with Driscoll’s other corporate entities (reminiscent of the ‘octopus’ analogy of tentacles reaching everywhere). A Google search turns up plenty that should raise concerns. A search on TWW will cause the hairs to raise on your neck. How do seemingly decent people, like Holcomb, get enmeshed with such abusive organizations?

    I don’t get what’s going on over there. I see Michael Horton has had Justin and Lindsey Holcomb on his White Horse Inn show.

    http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/2012/12/30/whi-1134-sexual-abuse-the-gospel-of-grace/

    How and why they are involved with Driscoll is beyond me.

  29. TedS. wrote:

    Justin Holcomb, who is connected with ‘executive’ leadership at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle

    I agree. I did not like to see this. However, sometimes a cause can make strange bedfellows. Critique of the Mars HIll way will not abate at TWW.

  30. Are we not able to separate doctrine from this issue? I don’t care who signs the dang thing, the people who have signed are showing a solidarity that reaches beyond doctrinal lines by exclaiming: Let’s stop abuse in church!!!

  31. The involvement with Driscoll has bothered me for a while now. I would love to hear from Boz what the connection is, how it came about and his views on Driscoll’s teaching/behavior.

  32. formerly anonymous wrote:

    How and why they are involved with Driscoll is beyond me.

    Like Tabaqui the Jackal following Shere Khan?
    The thrill of being close to POWER?
    Scavenging what crumbs the Apex Predator might drop?

  33. Heather wrote:

    The petition stands in its own right. It doesn’t become more valid by having Mohler and Mahaney and Wilson and Tom and Jerry sign it.

    Don’t forget Larry, Moe, and Curly.

  34. Julie Anne wrote:

    Are we not able to separate doctrine from this issue? I don’t care who signs the dang thing, the people who have signed are showing a solidarity that reaches beyond doctrinal lines by exclaiming: Let’s stop abuse in church!!!

    I agree with you. For me the issue with Driscoll would not necessarily be with his doctrine, per se, but the fact that he has shown such abusive tendencies himself. As far as doctrine goes, abuse seems to be an equal opportunity offender. I haven’t any particular branch of doctrine provide immunity to abuse.

    (I’m kind of assuming that is what your responding to…)

  35. formerly anonymous wrote:

    TedS. wrote:

    Just noticed on the G.R.A.C.E. homepage they feature a link to an article by Justin Holcomb, who is connected with ‘executive’ leadership at Mark Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle and also has various titles all in connection with Driscoll’s other corporate entities (reminiscent of the ‘octopus’ analogy of tentacles reaching everywhere). A Google search turns up plenty that should raise concerns. A search on TWW will cause the hairs to raise on your neck. How do seemingly decent people, like Holcomb, get enmeshed with such abusive organizations?

    I don’t get what’s going on over there. I see Michael Horton has had Justin and Lindsey Holcomb on his White Horse Inn show.

    http://www.whitehorseinn.org/blog/2012/12/30/whi-1134-sexual-abuse-the-gospel-of-grace/

    How and why they are involved with Driscoll is beyond me.

    I read their book Rid of my Disgrace. I found it helpful in only a few places and overwhelmingly heavy handed theologically. Very very little attention is paid to psychological/biological dynamics and effects of abuse. Ultimately, almost everything mentioned in the book seemed to boil down to various sin issues. It is heavily influenced by reformed theology. It is not a robust examination of the intersection of faith and sexual trauma, in my opinion.

    It’s a shame because it had the very real potential to be a game changer. But as a victim, I felt more judged and discouraged in reading it than I felt free and encouraged.

    But that’s just me.

  36. Heather wrote:

    I have come to the conclusion that I don’t care. Because what they say and what they do, other than confess their sin against the “least of these”and repent of it, doesn’t matter to me. I feel that they have been shown to be what they are, and I have no more regard for their signatures over any of the other signatories. In fact, I may have less, because I have seen them twist and turn to advance their own agenda and I am not sure I can tell the difference between what they might do that is good and the normal stuff they do.

    Amen. As to the RBD….After all that has taken place I cannot imagine why they would have any credibility with anyone. The only thing that would make spiritual sense is for them to publicly repent and get out of ministry. They are not qualified.

  37. Not usually a reader here, but a friend sent the link along. Glad they did.

    Signed – #601. Former SGM member, appalled at the way SGM has trampled on its victims.

    I stand with all vicitims – it is not your fault. God have mercy on those in the church who choose neutrality and silence, giving in to fear of man instead of the fear of God.

  38. I would like to add that not taking a stand by remaining silent ENABLES FURTHER ABUSE. Do not participate in sin if you know about it by remaining silent. I know it’s hard to speak out, but I believe it pleases God to speak for those who can not speak for themselves and to truly be The Good Samaritan in ACTION and with words.

  39. Chris wrote:

    remaining silent ENABLES FURTHER ABUSE. Do not participate in sin if you know about it by remaining silent.

    Awesome comment! Thanks.

  40. Chris wrote:

    I would like to add that not taking a stand by remaining silent ENABLES FURTHER ABUSE. Do not participate in sin if you know about it by remaining silent.

    That sounds like something out of a Manly Wade Wellman supernatural horror tale. “If you watch bad magic or worship of devils and make no objection — even in your own mind — you’ve participated in the bad thing and given the bad thing power over you.”

  41. Just wanted to point out that Scotty Smith signed it – he’s also a writer at TGC. Thought that was interesting…

  42. grieving wrote:

    I read their book Rid of my Disgrace. I found it helpful in only a few places and overwhelmingly heavy handed theologically. Very very little attention is paid to psychological/biological dynamics and effects of abuse. Ultimately, almost everything mentioned in the book seemed to boil down to various sin issues. It is heavily influenced by reformed theology. It is not a robust examination of the intersection of faith and sexual trauma, in my opinion.

    It’s a shame because it had the very real potential to be a game changer. But as a victim, I felt more judged and discouraged in reading it than I felt free and encouraged.

    But that’s just me.

    That’s good to know. Sounds like they take a nouthetic approach. 🙁

  43. Julie Anne, I saw your tweet but do not understand it. If of those guys sign it does that mean they have changed their thinking on Mahaney’s actions at SGM without telling us why it changed? I fear they might just sign it to make your point moot and then you are stuck with agreeing their signing a petition means they “really care” and all that “other stuff” that has taken place over the last year is wiped clean. And they would get to do that without ever making known if they really did change their view of Mahaney or if it was because there is so much backlash to them right now. They are losing some of their base over their behavior with Mahaney.

    When words and actions over a long period don’t match what does one do?

  44. dee wrote:

    i even have 3 Stooges lounge pants!

    OK. I’ll bite. What are 3 Stooges lounge pants?

  45. @ Julie Anne:

    Ok, I think I get it. I most likely come at it from a different position which I will try to briefly explain. It does not mean I am right by any means. I just think goading them about signing it might just work. (They will at least get some of the minions in their group to sign it and then act like THEY did not know about cos they are so busy as big wigs in ministry. I am familiar with the drill. This is about saving a movement/institutions)

    Then it gets tricky to accuse them of not meaning it if they do sign and it actually rallies their base at that point to rationalize their actions/words do not match. We are dealing with some very diabolical hard core people in that movement…not sure many get that.

  46. @ Anon 1:
    If they sign it and then act counter to its intent, then they are exposed.

    Which is why they won’t sign it. There’s no upside to it (unless they mean it). As long as they don’t commit, they cannot be held accountable. They can always be assumed to not know about it or not feel it is worth their time. There are probably thousands of petitions for good causes that we never sign, even causes we would agree with. We just don’t take the time. If they don’t sign it, people can assume the best. If they do, then they are opening themselves up to risk. Risk that people will hold them accountable. Risk that their friends won’t like it. Risk that people will see them as pandering to a special interest issue. Etc.

    They are the movers and shakers. They do not need petitions. If they wanted this stuff to happen (for organizations like SGM to be held accountable), their voices would be heard and they could make it happen.

    As my own tweet stated, the visible church does not look so different from the world 🙁

  47. GuyBehindtheCurtain wrote:

    OK. I’ll bite. What are 3 Stooges lounge pants?

    I have no idea what they are(pants with pictures of Larry, Curly and Moe maybe?), but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Dee also uses a Snuggie. 🙂

    My Mom used to cut my hair somewhat like Moe’s when I was around the ages of 5 to 9. And I’m a girl, just to remind everyone.

    Well, my hair was a tad longer in the back than Moe’s, so it was a Moe style crossed with a Bill Ray Cyrus mullet, kind of. I have the humiliating photos to prove it but would rather not share. 🙂 (My hair looks much better these days.)

  48. Anon 1 wrote:

    Then it gets tricky to accuse them of not meaning it if they do sign and it actually rallies their base at that point to rationalize their actions/words do not match. We are dealing with some very diabolical hard core people in that movement…not sure many get that.

    Yes, we are. Janna Chan posted an excellent comment on my blog. The blog post is discussing the pattern we are seeing from CBMW leaders that parents need to train children’s gender identities, even intervening while they are playing to make sure they are getting their gender roles “right”, etc.
    Piper and the CBMW crowd (which of course encompasses many TGC pastors) are hot on this complementarian topic and Janna makes an excellent point:

    Wimps All Around

    So there’s subtly to the gender issue.

    But from what I see and I wish it weren’t so, John Piper’s crowd is raising men who will not protect women and children under any circumstances for any reason despite having reputedly been trained to do so from birth.

    In my experience, most men embracing Complimentarianism publicly act like chicken —-ts when it comes to protecting women in any context. So what are these guys really teaching boys to do behind the scenes, I wonder?

    (her comment is much longer: http://spiritualsoundingboard.com/2013/07/17/christian-parenting-training-your-childs-gender-identity/#comment-27653)

  49. @ Jeff S:

    @ Anon 1:

    In many ways, the visible church is way begind the world at large when it comes to dealing with child abuse/abuse of any kind. Look at what is going on in San Diego. The mayor has been accused of sexual harassment, his top cabinet officer has resigned and others who supported him in the past are speaking out against him and calling for his resignation. No one in CJ’s camp has spoken out about the man they have supported 🙁

  50. GuyBehindtheCurtain wrote:

    dee wrote:
    i even have 3 Stooges lounge pants!
    OK. I’ll bite. What are 3 Stooges lounge pants?

    Think of the hang around the house loose pants women wear. Mine have pictures of Moe, Larry and Curly.

  51. @ Anon 1: There is a bit of awkwardness to the signing of the petition. It strongly alludes to the SGM mess so the SGM boys will not sign it because someone might get mad, if you get my drift.

    Then, it also alludes to the infamous statements which means that Mohler, Carson, DeYoung Taylor Duncan, and Dever are involved. To sign it will miff off these guys and some might not get invited to conferences and book endorsements.

  52. @ dee:

    Cowards! Worried about being invited to conferences — ggrrr. A conference invite is more important than standing against child abuse???

  53. dee wrote:

    @ Anon 1: There is a bit of awkwardness to the signing of the petition. It strongly alludes to the SGM mess so the SGM boys will not sign it because someone might get mad, if you get my drift.
    Then, it also alludes to the infamous statements which means that Mohler, Carson, DeYoung Taylor Duncan, and Dever are involved. To sign it will miff off these guys and some might not get invited to conferences and book endorsements.

    Admittedly I’m not good at nine dimensional chess (or one dimensional chess, for that matter) but I can’t imagine this GRACE statement is an end itself. This must be part of a bigger strategy. Boz, et al are going to do something with this, I would think? This is a sort of throwing down the gauntlet? It seems like a strong first move but I can’t guess the next move from here.

  54. Jeff, Julie Ann, Dee…

    Thank you all So much for having patience to Explain that to me. I’ll be the first to admit I can be a bit thick about those things! I do see your points! They would indeed look hypocritical to sign it after all that has taken place over the last 2 years and their reactions or non reactions to it all.

  55. I’m no 507. I’ve also posted this to fb as I know some people who are fans of TGC & T4G who I have named & shamed. Not one word out of their mouths is credible until they show some love & protection towards these children.

  56. Julie Anne wrote:

    Wimps All Around

    So there’s subtly to the gender issue.

    But from what I see and I wish it weren’t so, John Piper’s crowd is raising men who will not protect women and children under any circumstances for any reason despite having reputedly been trained to do so from birth.

    The MacArthur-styled leader at my church who was such a bully refused to stop a lecherous man who was hitting on me during a Bible study he led. Despite my alarm and silent pleas for assistance, he and his stone-silent wife did nothing. My father had to get involved. I am mystified by this leader’s snide authoritarianism toward women, but total inability to protect them. Something was off in his sense of common decency. This is a small incident, hardly worth mentioning, but it popped up in my mind when you posted this.

    I’m glad I waltzed away, happily ever after. My new church is very much like TWW! A sign of a great pastor.

  57. Janey wrote:

    The MacArthur-styled leader at my church who was such a bully refused to stop a lecherous man who was hitting on me during a Bible study he led. Despite my alarm and silent pleas for assistance, he and his stone-silent wife did nothing. My father had to get involved. I am mystified by this leader’s snide authoritarianism toward women, but total inability to protect them.

    Not puzzling at all.
    You were Just a WOMAN.

  58. I am in the low 200s. Like Debbie K., I rarely sign petitions. But this one is very important. There is NO EXCUSE for ABUSE, and none for failing to report the perpetrator and support the victim.

  59. @ Jim:
    I signed this -# 1452 (I think) and posted it with an explanation on my Facebook page.
    I’m in the fight!

  60. Daisy wrote:

    Well, my hair was a tad longer in the back than Moe’s, so it was a Moe style crossed with a Bill Ray Cyrus mullet, kind of.

    A “Moe-let”?

    (Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk…)