Mark Galli Accused Me and Others of “Bearing False Witness” While He Was Being Accused of Sexual Harassment at Christianity Today

The Pilbara in northwestern Australia exposes some of the oldest rocks on Earth, over 3.6 billion years old.-NASA

“You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another.” C.S Lewis The Four Loves

“Slava Ukraini!”-Pray for the children.


A few days ago, I was startled to see this article at Christianity Today. Sexual Harassment Went Unchecked at Christianity Today It was subtitled: “Women reported two top leaders’ inappropriate behavior for more than 12 years. Nothing happened.”

For more than a dozen years, Christianity Today failed to hold two ministry leaders accountable for sexual harassment at its Carol Stream, Illinois, office.

A number of women reported demeaning, inappropriate, and offensive behavior by former editor in chief Mark Galli and former advertising director Olatokunbo Olawoye. But their behavior was not checked and the men were not disciplined, according to an external assessment of the ministry’s culture released Tuesday.

Mark Galli was sort of disciplined in 2019 because they thought they knew it all. They didn’t.

When a person commits multiple examples of harassment, he should be suspected of even more actions.

Christianity Today followed up with a uniquely transparent mea culpa in an editorial titled We Fell Short in Protecting Our Employees. This was subtitled: “How one organization—our own—got it wrong in responding to sexual harassment. And how we can do better.” The editor, Timothy Dalrymple, wrote:

It came to my attention that one of our editorial leaders had treated his female reports unprofessionally, engaging in unwanted touch despite repeated communications that such behavior was wrong, unwelcome, and needed to stop. I gathered more information about the history of the issue, and it was clear that earlier incidents with this individual had been addressed primarily through one-on-one conversations.

Without any written warnings in place, our options in August of 2019 were limited. We disciplined him, we documented it, and we warned him that he would be suspended or fired if it should happen again. No further allegations of unwanted touch or other inappropriate conduct arose between then and his retirement.

Mark Galli is accused of YEARS of such behavior. It supposedly continued AFTER his retirement!

However, in September of 2021, two current female employees approached me and CT’s executive editor, Ted Olsen. They presented a more thoroughgoing narrative regarding this individual’s conduct, one that extended back many years and continued even after his retirement.

Christianity Today hired Guidepost Solutions at the recommendation of Rachel Denhollander and released the ENTIRE report to the world.

Chapel Hill Bible Church should pay attention. Here is a link to the entire report:

                   guidepost_report_-_christianity_today

CT is implementing the recommendations found in the report. I heartily agree of the following.

First, our ministry succumbed to the temptation to explain away inappropriate conduct as misunderstandings—misunderstandings between men and women, or misunderstandings between members of different generations who have different expectations for appropriate workplace behavior. In other words, as Guidepost expressed so well, we overemphasized the intent of the perpetrator and underemphasized the impact on the recipient.

Divining intent is always a dubious enterprise, but sexual harassment is sexual harassment whether or not it is sexually motivated. It makes the person on the receiving end feel objectified, manipulated, and mistreated because of his or her sex. Rather than saying, “He doesn’t really mean anything by it,” we should have heard, “But it means pain and humiliation for her.”

Back to Sexual Harassment Went Unchecked at Christianity Today by Daniel Silliman.

Former advertising director, Olatokunbo Olawoye, was also accused of harassing women.

He was charged with a sex crime outside of work and was fired. He solicited a minor.

We were also aware of a second narrative, also years ago, in which another CT employee, who worked in advertising, was charged with a sex crime outside of the workplace and was fired from the ministry as soon as possible thereafter. We wished to examine whether we should have done more in that case as well.

Olawoye was reported for sexually harassing behavior at Christianity Today. Nothing reportedly happened.

One woman told her manager that Olawoye was staring at her breasts during meetings. The manager’s response: “It helps if you wear a scarf.”

…Another manager, a man, did file a complaint. He went to HR and said that Olawoye was spending an inordinate amount of time talking to a college intern. He seemed to be asking her inappropriate questions—whether she had a boyfriend, whether she’d ever had a boyfriend, and whether she’d like to have dinner at his house.

A few days later, Olawoye stormed into the office of the manager who reported him and demanded an apology. He had learned who made the complaint and was irate about the possibility of an “awful mark” on his record.

The manager did not file any more HR complaints during his time at Christianity Today.

There is no record that Olawoye was formally reprimanded for that incident or that it left any sort of mark on his record.

Mark Galli was accused by eight women of touching them inappropriately.

Here are a few examples.

The accounts shared with the CT news editor followed nearly identical patterns. Most of the women said he rubbed his hand on their lower back and touched their bra clasp.

….Another former employee recounted how Galli touched her twice in ways that didn’t feel right, including caressing her bare shoulder when they sat next to each other at an event in the late 2000s. According to emails written at the time, she reported the behavior to her manager, but he decided not to file a complaint with HR.

…A fourth said that Galli rubbed her back and got his hand stuck under her bra. When she told a vice president, the senior leader suggested she had misread the situation and discouraged her from “making it an HR issue.”

Galli responded to CT on Substack.

Basically, he says he’s sorry but denies some of the accounts and said others were simply misunderstandings.

Galli confirmed multiple conflicts over touching people at work but disputed the women’s interpretation of what he did.

“My hand couldn’t have been on her back for more than a second,” he told the CT news editor. “I obviously violated her space. I am really sorry about that. I wasn’t feeling her bra. … I was just trying to physically affirm that I was coming as a friendly person that wanted to have a conversation with her.”

…Some parts of the story are, therefore, accurate, and I’m troubled that I distressed any women, or men for that matter, by anything I said or did.  But the fact of the matter is that I never in 30 years ever approached a women with the intent of sexually harassing, intimidating, or “hitting” on her. Never. But some women believe I had done that, and for that I’m regretful.

…In short, I am concerned that those whom I have inadvertently offended or confused remain on the other side of this huge chasm of anonymity. I repeat what I said in the article: I welcome the opportunity to bridge that divide in person, with a third party, of course.

Dee was accused by Galli of bearing false witness.

Let me sum it up for you. Ed Stetzer received the gift of an antique red Volkswagon from James MacDonald. This was during the time when I had revealed that MacDonald was using church money to buy expensive gifts for friends such as motorcycles and a car. Stetzer confirmed he received the car.

Shortly thereafter, James MacDonald, who was unjustly (IMO) suing Julie Roys and Ryan Mahoney for defamation, got to write a post about why he was “justified” in doing so on Stetzer’s blog at Christianity Today.

Wade Burleson spoke out about the ethics of this whole thing and Mark Galli accused him of violating the commandment of inadvertently bearing false witness. He did so on Wade’s blog and I wrote a post about the exchange. Wade Burleson and Mark Galli Disagree About James MacDonald’s Abusive Op-Ed Post and the Harvest Bible Chapel Lawsuit Website Goes Live

Then, he wrote me an email accusing me of the same thing.

Note the “off the record.” remark. Well, Dee didn’t take too kindly to that and said I wasn’t interested in discussing this with him off the record. He followed this up with another email about why he wouldn’t discuss it off the record. It is long. Basically, he was afraid he’d be misquoted. Dee doesn’t misquote and took umbrage. Something didn’t sit right with me. He did follow that up with this explanation below which I didn’t accept because Stetzer was being paid by CT at this time.

Before I forget, Galli reportedly called Scot McKnight, Kristin McKnight’s husband, to report her for bearing false witness as well. What a guy!

So why was I mad about all of this?

Galli would wax eloquent of the beautiful orthodoxy branding of Christianity Today. Yet at the same time, he was critiquing me for bearing false witness for a simple observation of Stetzer taking a car from MacDonald and then allowing a screed to be published by MacDonald.
Galli has far too many complaints about his behavior for me to blow it off. It is rare for a number of women to report such behavior. Can you imagine the poor woman who went to HR to say Galli’s hand got stuck under her bra? He says it isn’t true. I say that it is difficult to report something like that. I know I would have a hard time saying something.
There is too much smoke here. Given his response to some of us for simply raising a legitimate concern, I think that he may have been difficult if called out on his behavior. Let’s see how he takes this one.

Comments

Mark Galli Accused Me and Others of “Bearing False Witness” While He Was Being Accused of Sexual Harassment at Christianity Today — 52 Comments

  1. Recalling when he was last in the news:

    https://religionnews.com/2020/09/10/mark-galli-former-christianity-today-editor-and-trump-critic-to-be-confirmed-a-catholic/

    This is the perspective that Galli brought when explaining his recent change:

    “One thing I like about both Orthodoxy and Catholicism is that you have to do these things, whether you like it or not, whether you’re in the mood or not, sometimes whether you believe or not. You just have to plow ahead. I want that.”

    “I will not do anything unless someone comes along and says, ‘You need to do this. This is really important.” (This is after he talked about basically having to do something “sometimes whether you believe it or not”).

    I recall commenting at the time to the effect that perhaps he ought to sign up for the army, paper route, or something so he could be told what to do by those in authority.

  2. “Let’s see how he takes this one.”

    Start with the gaslighting (in his false apology), saying that the witnesses who experienced his sexual harassment are “confused”. LOL. Nothing confusing about this lowlife behavior.

    Professional women in professional workplaces know exactly what they have witnessed from a predator.

    CT circled the wagons, protected their perverts & predators, while gaslighting and silencing professional women who have evidence.

    Evil. Sick. Bully power. Morally weak.

    There’s media far superior to CT. There are many Christian men who know and demonstrate stellar behavior with women. Integrity. Love. Professionalism. Respect.

    Outing the outliars and their fangirls is a service to all.

    Professionals have no tolerance for predators, particularly those in leadership positions.

  3. From Timothy Dalrymple: “Divining intent is always a dubious enterprise, but sexual harassment is sexual harassment whether or not it is sexually motivated. It makes the person on the receiving end feel objectified, manipulated, and mistreated because of his or her sex. Rather than saying, ‘He doesn’t really mean anything by it,’ we should have heard, ‘But it means pain and humiliation for her.’”

    It’s not just pain and humiliation. It’s also FEAR. Not trying to be sexist, but I think many men don’t understand how many women are conditioned to be afraid of unwanted attention.

    I was 12 when my dad made me take a self-defense class from a martial arts studio. Twelve. I barely knew what it was like to have a crush, and I was being taught what to do if a man twice my size forced himself between my knees.

    But I don’t blame my dad.

    One or two years earlier, my teenage babysitter had been followed home from her job at Toys-R-Us. The three broke into her home and gang raped her.

    That was nearly 30 years ago, and I still circle the block instead of pulling into my driveway if I notice a car following me for the last few turns into my neighborhood. And when a male coworker who I thought had been making eyes at me (in spite of my ignoring him to the point of being rude and repeatedly bringing up my HUSBAND in conversation) sent me a wildly inappropriate email, my gut reaction was FEAR.

    Then there’s the cautions to teenage girls and young women to never go places after dark by themselves, to carry pepper spray in the event they must, to call someone from their cell phone on the walk home so they’ll know where to send the police if she gets kidnapped, to be careful not to drink too much on a date, to not even trust their own boyfriends to respect physical boundaries but always be the gatekeeper and the brakes because males simply cannot control themselves, and remember he is 95% of the time going to be able to physically overpower you despite your best efforts because of simple biology.

    In light of all this training to fear men and not trust men to be able to control themselves, *is it any wonder* women “overreact” to “a little light humor” and “a simple misunderstanding?”

    You can’t have it both ways, Evangelical Industrial Complex. If you’re going to tell women that lust is “Every Man’s Battle,” then you’ve got to realize that women are going to be skeptical of a man’s “intent” whenever anything even remotely sexual is communicated.

  4. Wild Honey: From Timothy Dalrymple: “Divining intent is always a dubious enterprise, but sexual harassment is sexual harassment whether or not it is sexually motivated.

    True.

    And when predators et al claim that women witnesses are confused, rather than acknowledging the women witnesses hold evidence of predators, they add insult to injury.

  5. Wild Honey,

    Those are very good points.

    Another issue arises when a person will not change a behavior. Mr. Galli said, “I was just trying to physically affirm that I was coming as a friendly person that wanted to have a conversation with her.” Well, okay, but the first time an employee, man or woman, said, “I don’t want you to touch me,” that should have been the last time it happened.

    *Maybe* he really did perceive his action as a friendly one. However, if other people didn’t agree, when a genuinely friendly person would change his behavior to, say, a really big smile and a bright, “Good morning!

  6. Mark Galli Accused Me and Others of “Bearing False Witness”…

    And he can’t even call you a liar without Christianese buzzwords.

    While He Was Being Accused of Sexual Harassment at Christianity Today

    DARVO and/or Whataboutism.

  7. Cynthia W.,

    Exactly…. A genuinely friendly person would CHANGE there behavior such that the genuinely friendly persons behavior would then be perceived by others to be friendly…….. NOT being so stubborn/prideful to continue the perceived offensive behavior..
    …what I just stated is not “rocket science”….

  8. Jeffrey Chalmers: what I just stated is not “rocket science”

    In these situations, especially when older men are involved, people often repeat words to the effect of, “The social milieu has changed.” It’s true: the social milieu has changed since a man now in his late 50s (let alone late 70s!) was in his 20s. However, most people can adjust their behavior when circumstances or expectations change.

    One possible reason for a person’s continuing to act the same way when he has been informed it is unacceptable is that he has some neurological issue, such as dementia, that makes him incapable of assimilating a new behavior. Another is that he does not want to change, and the consequences are not significant enough for him to be motivated.

    (“He” could be changed to “she” in the previous paragraph without loss of meaning.)

  9. Jeffrey Chalmers: NOT being so stubborn/prideful to continue the perceived offensive behavior..
    …what I just stated is not “rocket science”….

    Exactly.
    First: He crosses boundaries with women. Touch and talk. Not men but women. Only. A pattern… multiple women multiple times. Predation.

    Second: He refuses to listen to the women who were clear that professional boundaries were violated. Dismissive of the women recognizing his pattern of predation.

    Third: Already having no regard for professional boundaries with women, and no ear for women’s voices, he turns on them with a vengeance. He accuses the women. Gaslighting them (women are “confused”). Slandering them (women are lying).

    Serious issues with women … violating them, then trashing them when they stand up to him, the women exposing predation while expecting professionalism from this fail of a Christian leader.

    Assuming there’s a wife … well, bullies have fangirls. Some women hate other women standing up to male bullies, especially their very own guypal male bully. Like the guy they latch on to, these women are only interested in themselves.

    Toxic culture.

  10. Ava Aaronson,

    Great summary. In regards to the comment ‘Assuming there’s a wife’ – if there is, she has probably been completely indoctrinated by the whole ‘submission’ and ‘repsect for her husband’ line of thinking. Add the teaching against gossip and voila, you have a culture where men get away with anything and everything. Been there, done that. Out now.

  11. ““Slava Ukraini!” – Pray for the children.”

    AMEN!

    Meanwhile, instead of praying, Putin quoted Scripture to a throng of thousands yesterday: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

    ?!!!

    “The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.” (Aldous Huxley)

    A more appropriate Scripture for Putin’s actions: “God hates the hands that shed innocent blood.”

  12. Max: Meanwhile, instead of praying, Putin quoted Scripture to a throng of thousands yesterday: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
    ?!!!
    “The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.” (Aldous Huxley)

    Putin is evil. He has needlessly killed children. He will try to make Russia and her territories a glory to the old Soviet Union. As my grandmother would say *******Bolsheviks.

  13. Cynthia W.,

    I believe that he thought he was being friendly…in the beginning. However, after what appeared to be many warnings, he still persisted? Kind of weird.

  14. Jeffrey Chalmers: NOT being so stubborn/prideful to continue the perceived offensive behavior..

    I wonder if there was more to his behavior-bordering on predatory. Can you imagine the atmosphere in that office?

  15. Far too long, the Christian Industrial Complex has been writing this sickness off as “Boys will be boys.” What about “Men of God will be Men of God” for a change! If I were God (and the world better be glad I’m not), I would purge the church of these bad actors in an instant.

  16. dee: after what appeared to be many warnings, he still persisted? Kind of weird.

    It’s a symptom of “I’m too big to fall” sickness. There’s been an outbreak of that in the American church.

  17. Max: Meanwhile….Putin quoted Scripture to a throng of thousands yesterday: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

    ?!!!

    “The propagandist’s purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.” (Aldous Huxley)

    A more appropriate Scripture for Putin’s actions: “God hates the hands that shed innocent blood.”

    That.

  18. dee: Kind of weird.

    I have that impression of him in general. Some people interact weirdly even when they’re given clear feedback. That’s one reason that organizational responses should emphasize specific behaviors rather than getting bogged down in intentions.

  19. Ava Aaronson: And when predators et al claim that women witnesses are confused, rather than acknowledging the women witnesses hold evidence of predators, they add insult to injury.

    Insult to injury? ………., No. It’s worse than that. When I read that, the little voice inside my head screamed, “What he really means is, ‘Women are weak and stupid. And, men have all of the God-given authority over women we can get away with anything.’ “

  20. Ava Aaronson: And when predators et al claim that women witnesses are confused, rather than acknowledging the women witnesses hold evidence of predators, they add insult to injury

    It’s gaslighting.

  21. dee,

    “And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.”
    — Ecclesiastes 3:16 —

  22. Malignant narcissists are malignant. They lust for positions of power in ALL institutions, there are zero exceptions. They will brown nose superiors to help climb the ladder. They can be very charming and then go into pitbull mode with no warning at the drop of a hat. They work their whole life at mastering the art of how to manipulate people. Do not be surprised by where you will find them. They try to be everywhere so do not be surprised when they drop a rock on your head. Galli is a snake. Period.

  23. dee: he thought he was being friendly…

    He claims he was being friendly but then was misunderstood and slandered by confused women who didn’t appreciate his friendly talk and touch. Perhaps a brush over a woman’s breast or bra strap was misunderstood by a confused and unfriendly woman?

    How about the unwanted touch, brushing over, or attention to, a man’s groin? Was that happening? Would men who experienced this be confused and unfriendly? Would men see this as friendly or accidental?

    If this was innocent friendliness, why didn’t men experience the same friendliness as women?

    Or are women just confused and overly sensitive… about unwanted attention to their privates by a professional colleague at work?

  24. Nancy2(aka Kevlar): When I read that, the little voice inside my head screamed, “What he really means is, ‘Women are weak and stupid. And, men have all of the God-given authority over women we can get away with anything.’ “

    In the OT, God spoke in a still small voice. Perhaps with a message that screamed. So good point, IMHO.

    Anyway… devaluing women to prey on them, silence them, and then destroy them by reducing them to less than human, is never of God.

    God did not create lesser humans, even though some claim to be superior in the name of God.

  25. Comedian Hannah Gadsby “what does boys will be boys mean?” It means we are not preparing our boys for the real world.”

  26. Nancy2(aka Kevlar): ‘Women are weak and stupid. And, men have all of the God-given authority over women we can get away with anything.’ “

    And when real life intrudes into the make believe ‘Bible’ world these guys are wrapped up in, Some will double down with their silly gender role rhetoric, and yet others, the lucky ones, will exit the tent.
    I’ve said it before on this blog, and I’ll say it again, Women (for the most part) are the stronger of our species, and the sooner these guys wake up to that fact, the better off they’re gonna’ be equipped to function in the real world.

  27. Muff Potter: Some will double down with their silly gender role rhetoric, and yet others, the lucky ones, will exit the tent.
    I’ve said it before on this blog, and I’ll say it again, Women (for the most part) are the stronger of our species

    IMHO, one gender is neither less or more than the other.

    However, any woman (or man, for that matter) entering any institution (for employment, or for social engagement-church) that devalues women is in for one heck of a plunge into an abyss. Snake-filled Indiana Jones pit.

    Way too many examples prove the Dark Side, the Black Hole, the corruption, of devaluing women.

    Dee and Todd, keep publishing Intel about that snake-filled pit. PSA, every post. And the public thanks you.

  28. Ava Aaronson: IMHO, one gender is neither less or more than the other.

    I agree, and I hope my previous comment was not construed (less or more) that way.
    My comment was based strictly on observations of a general nature.
    For example, when the Wehrmacht got pushed by the Russians far enough West in 1945 and the death camps got liberated, the vast majority of survivors were women.
    There are other examples of course, but I’ll rest my case with this one alone.

  29. Max: Far too long, the Christian Industrial Complex has been writing this sickness off as “Boys will be boys.”

    And these manboys have their fangirls.

    In Hollywood, girls may sleep their way to the top or to a role; in christendom likewise girls may submit their way into position.

    Both give up their God-given dignity, integrity, and humanity for their part in a Man’s World.

    Step back and take a distant look at Weinstein, Cosby, Epstein, Piper, Wilson, Hybels … 3 casting couch kings, 3 theo-dynasty patriarchs. They all created dynasties and made things happen for others.

    In the long run, does one desire to be one of those “others”? At what cost? In the end, what do the testimonies of those in their wake, in the trail of dust behind them on the trail, tell us?

  30. Muff Potter: observations of a general nature.

    True. Women may outlive men.

    And men may overpower women. On “Worst Roommate Ever” a woman realized she was cornered alone with a guy who then buried her alive. She said 95% of women would not have been able to fight off this guy. Fortunately, she lived to tell.

    IMHO, God calls all of us to live and affirm the equal value, dignity, and integrity of each other. That takes incredible moral fortitude when systems, religious systems in particular, are dug in against women, children, POC, and all who advocate for them, like Jesus.

    Look what the religious elite did to Jesus. But Jesus won.

  31. Muff Potter,
    In old school D&D, both Strength and Constitution were random-rolled on three six-sided dice (3D6).

    High Str added to your ability to hit and do damage. High Con added to your ability to take damage (Hit Points) and general chances for survival.

    There was a local convention that if Str > Con, the character was male. If Con > Str, femals. (At least for plain-vanilla human characters.) This convention ended up carrying over into any game whose character-generation system whose Strength and Con/Endurance used the same number & type of dice.

  32. Muff Potter: And when real life intrudes into the make believe ‘Bible’ world these guys are wrapped up in, Some will double down with their silly gender role rhetoric, and yet others, the lucky ones, will exit the tent.

    Not just “silly gendar roles”, but just about ANYTHING.
    A Righteous True Believer cannot back down or compromise, only attack and escalate.
    And they get VICIOUS.

  33. Ava Aaronson: God did not create lesser humans, even though some claim to be superior in the name of God.

    I’m sure we can all tell horror stories of Christianese One-Upmanship.
    I am so sick of Christianese One-Upmanship.
    Too many times on the receiving end.

  34. Mr. Jesperson: They work their whole life at mastering the art of how to manipulate people.

    Which puts all the rest of us who have lives at a disadvantage.
    Because in their Egomania and Manipulation they Live and Move and Have Their Being. 30 hours a day, 8 days a week, 400+ days a year enlarging their Ego and honing and improving their Manipulation skills.

    How can the rest of us stand a chance?
    I sure didn’t.

  35. Max: dee: after what appeared to be many warnings, he still persisted? Kind of weird.

    It’s a symptom of “I’m too big to fall” sickness.

    “THIS CAN’T RUIN ME! NOTHING CAN RUIN ME!”
    — Congressman Wilbur Mills when he got caught in a fountain with a stripper, drunk as you can get. The DC cops hushed it up, but a reporter was there and got the whole thing. The resulting scandal drome Mills out of office.

  36. Headless Unicorn Guy: “THIS CAN’T RUIN ME! NOTHING CAN RUIN ME!”
    — Congressman Wilbur Mills when he got caught in a fountain with a stripper, drunk as you can get. The DC cops hushed it up, but a reporter was there and got the whole thing. The resulting scandal drome Mills out of office.

    And that’s the issue here–the lack of accountability measures. Would we have ever heard about Wilbur Mills and Fanne Fox had there not been a reporter on scene? Probably not, although in looking at Wikipedia, the guy got reelected in 1974. But after a (probably) embarrassing scene where he held a press conference in Fanne Fox’s dressing room in Boston (different event, obvs), he went in for alcohol treatment and did not run for re-election in 1976.

    In the Evangelical Industrial Complex, the general lack of accountability measures is just everywhere. Mark Galli looks like he was pushed into retirement (the last incident occurred in August 2019 and he announced his retirement in October 2019, to take effect January 2020). But it didn’t come out until over two years after his retirement. At least his reckoning came while he was alive, unlike Ravi Zacharias, who got the “well done, thou good and faithful servant” funeral in 2020, while the (somewhat) complete sordid truth came out months after he died.

    It’s like a day doesn’t hardly pass that we don’t hear of some scandal involving a church and child sexual abuse, and a week hardly passes that it involves a well-known organization and seamy activity (not just CSA). And yet, ministries and churches just try to brazen it out, like John MacArthur and his followers. Or they try to get ahead of what’s probably really bad news, like Hillsong’s temporary lead pastor and board, holding a staff meeting and throwing out a couple of examples of Brian Houston acting badly towards women and blaming it on the prescription drugs and alcohol. The staff meeting was apparently internal but leaked to an Australian press outlet, which ran with it, forcing Hillsong to have to go public. I can’t help but wonder if the original staff meeting was provoked by the Discovery Plus documentary about Hillsong, scheduled to drop on Thursday, March 24.

    I’ve argued with people who continue to say “schools are the worst.” Well yeah, but there are laws specifically covering public schools and there is some accountability. I reminded this guy how MacArthur and Grace Community Church had no problem foisting David Gray off on the LA Unified School District, which is where he finally got arrested for the crimes that will probably keep him locked up for life.

    I don’t know what needs to be done to make it change. I just don’t know anymore.

  37. Muslin, fka Dee Holmes,

    I agree with you… One of the problems is that organized religion is good at playing the “get into heaven through us” card… then, we need to make sure our image is “lilly white”, so they go to great links to cover up stuff.. finally, I agree with a general concept that is frequently discussed here at TWW.. namely organized religion is a magnet for manipulative/abusive/narcissistic people..

  38. Headless Unicorn Guy: Which puts all the rest of us who have lives at a disadvantage.
    Because in their Egomania and Manipulation they Live and Move and Have Their Being. 30 hours a day, 8 days a week, 400+ days a year enlarging their Ego and honing and improving their Manipulation skills.

    How can the rest of us stand a chance?
    I sure didn’t.

    This is such a good point. How they live and move and have their being … the con.

    Is everyone on the payroll without “a real job” a con? When pastoring is a gift from the Holy Spirit like the 17 other gifts, how is it the working class church people volunteering their gifts then pay for a guy with this one particular “gift”? So it’s no longer a gift from the Holy Spirit to the church?

    But that doesn’t explain the wayward predatory perverted magazine editor. Editor is a real job.

    Except that the predatory pervert editor probably attends a church with possibly a conman pastor teaching it is absolutely appropriate for any man to have his way with any woman. Thus the CT culture.

  39. Muslin, fka Dee Holmes: I don’t know what needs to be done to make it change. I just don’t know anymore.

    Weinstein is jailed thanks to Ronan Farrow and the women with evidence who came forward.

    MLK: “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Change takes a long time, but it does happen.

  40. I remembered that Galli was one of the “evangelists” for the Anglican church and wondered which one of the churches he might have attended. Part of the reason for the wondering was that Galli mentioned that he preferred to be told what to do.

    So, I poked around a little on Google. It seems that Galli was at the Church of the Resurrection which is part of the ACNA investigation currently.

    Ava Aaronson: Except that the predatory pervert editor probably attends a church with possibly a conman pastor teaching it is absolutely appropriate for any man to have his way with any woman. Thus the CT culture.

    https://religionnews.com/2020/09/10/mark-galli-former-christianity-today-editor-and-trump-critic-to-be-confirmed-a-catholic/

  41. Micah: It seems that Galli was at the Church of the Resurrection which is part of the ACNA investigation currently.

    That’s interesting.

    Muslin, fka Dee Holmes,

    Headless Unicorn Guy:…in their Egomania and Manipulation they Live and Move and Have Their Being. 30 hours a day, 8 days a week, 400+ days a year enlarging their Ego and honing and improving their Manipulation skills.

    IMHO, God is still God, and through Dee, Todd, and folks like Steve Hassan the cult expert, as well as Dee Holmes and HUG, dots connect, those who seek truth find answers. Even the hinterland Moscow ID has a posse documenting the nonsense going on up there.

    At some point Toto tugs at the curtain and the monster on the mega-screen turns out to be quite the little imposter.

    Psalm 2: God sits in the heavens and laughs, not at the pain caused, but at the pathetic egomaniacs who think they’re getting away with it.

  42. Ava Aaronson: At some point Toto tugs at the curtain and the monster on the mega-screen turns out to be quite the little imposter.

    Where is Toto when you need him?! (or was Toto a girl, I never knew)

    Every church needs a Toto or two in the congregation … to listen carefully to what the pulpit is saying to the church. Wizards abound.

  43. Ava Aaronson: dots connect, those who seek truth find answers. Even the hinterland Moscow ID has a posse documenting the nonsense going on up there.

    Do you remember the story of Cassandra from the Iliad?

    Cursed by the Gods with Perfect Prophecy. Everything she prophesied, every word, would come true – and No One Would Ever Believe Her. EVER.

    THAT is what I grew up being. Predators groom more than just their victims. They put on the Angel of Light mask (spoken of by that Rabbi from Tarsus) and groom third parties (especially those in authority) as friends and allies, discrediting in advance anything the victim or Toto can say. Twenty chess moves ahead.

    “Go ahead and squeal, Tattle-Tale! Mobody will believe YOU. Because YOUr’e just the Crazy Kid and I’m the Sweet Little Angel!”

  44. Headless Unicorn Guy: Do you remember the story of Cassandra from the Iliad?

    Cursed by the Gods with Perfect Prophecy. Everything she prophesied, every word,would come true – and No One Would Ever Believe Her. EVER.

    THAT is what I grew up being. Predators groom more than just their victims. They put on the Angel of Light mask (spoken of by that Rabbi from Tarsus) and groom third parties (especially those in authority) as friends and allies, discrediting in advance anything the victim or Toto can say. Twenty chess moves ahead.

    “Go ahead and squeal, Tattle-Tale! Mobody will believe YOU. Because YOUr’e just the Crazy Kid and I’m the Sweet Little Angel!”

    HUG, I have mostly lurked here over the years but I want you to know that many of the insights you shared from the pain you have gone through have been instrumental in helping me break through the clouds of confusion from the gaslighter in my own life. Many of the manipulative techniques you have shared were similar. You helped me understand how I could be the one telling the truth and others believed the gaslighter. Those insights helped me make some progress on the arduous climb to healing. So thank you.

  45. Mark Galli appears to be playing it both ways.

    “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose”?