“Shocking.” That’s the word being bandied about in both news coverage and social media reactions to a nearly 300-page report released on Sunday that details both extensive sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and a thorough effort to cover it up by the denomination’s leadership. As Christianity Today bluntly noted, the convention had “a secret list of more than 700 abusive pastors,” but “chose to protect the denomination from lawsuits” rather than the victims or potential future victims in the pews. Instead, protecting predators became the norm, and victims of abuse were frequently blamed. One victim, whose abuse started when she was 14, “was forced to apologize in front of the church,” but forbidden to name the pastor who had forcibly impregnated her.
The situation is, indeed, horrific. It’s a minor miracle that this report even happened.
Where exactly are the teachings of Jesus Christ in a money making organization, where children are sexually exploited, women are demeaned, and followers are required, to turn a blind eye, kiss the ring of a “man” snd protect the the hierarchy from lawsuits?
I’d say that’s much more shocking than an overturned table.