I’m sure everyone has heard about the senate race in Alabama by now. The choices are Doug Jones (a democrat from a family of farmers, steelworkers, and miners who was a prosecutor) and Roy Moore (a republican judge who has a history of pedophilia and was banned from the mall for pursuing teenage girls). Yes. Sexual relations with young teenage girls is pedophilic and abusive by definition, even if you get permission from her mother. If a 30+ year old was sexually involved with my teenage son, they would be prosecuted (perhaps by someone like Doug Jones)! However, it seems that the choice between a democrat and a pedophile is difficult for much of the religious right.
Alabama State Auditor said, “Take Joseph and Mary, Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus. There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”
Franklin Graham has said that, “The hypocrisy of Washington has no bounds. So many denouncing Roy Moore when they are guilty of doing much worse than what he has been accused of supposedly doing. Shame on those hypocrites.”
Jerry Moore said, “He is being persecuted, like Jesus.”
Jerry Falwell Jr. has stated that he believes Moore, over his accusers. And the rest of the supporting facts, I suppose.
The president has said that, “He says it didn’t happen. You have to listen to him also.”
In September, James Dobson said that, “I can personally attest to his impeccable character as well as his sincere Christian faith. Throughout his career, Judge Moore has been a tireless champion of religious liberty, standing down those who want nothing less than to rid our nation of its Judeo-Christian foundations.” (He has not withdrawn this glowing support in light of the new information about Moore that has come to light.)
This is not just about Roy Moore, it is about what Roy Moore’s crimes have illuminated. The party that claims the moral high-ground, the people who believe they have sole rights to Jesus’s name, who have built businesses and fortunes off of Him, who have the ears and respect of most evangelical Christians, have become apologists for pedophilia and assault. Who cares if you abuse some teenage girls, as long as you put up the 10 Commandments and make a real good stink about it? The world is watching and this is their witness. This is what outsiders believe Christianity is. Who in their right mind would want to be a part of that? Where is the wisdom? Where is the grace? What part of that bears any resemblance to our Savior?
I don’t care what your politics are, if you follow Jesus, there should be a line between defensible and indefensible. We are called to side with victims, to bind up wounds, to love as we have been loved, to protect, to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others…and this is the opposite of all of that. This is sacrificing human beings for political gain. This is not a new thing for the church, sexual assault has long hidden within its confines and has been covered up by “godly” people who tell victims to forgive their assailants and rapists and keep in contact with them so that they may come to know Jesus. Girls who are abused are told to repent of “their part” in what happened. The focus is put back on girls and what they could have done to prevent the crime, rather than on helping them recover from it or holding the abusers accountable. If you don’t believe me, go to Twitter and search for #churchtoo. It will break your heart. All of these victims are just seeing the same thing replayed on a much larger stage right now.
The sad truth is that these people have the microphone and stage right now and have announced that they speak for Jesus, and the world is watching and listening. Outsiders are watching. Victims of sexual abuse are watching. Predators are watching. Christian women who grew up insides the bounds of the harmful purity culture that gave them baggage to last a lifetime are watching. And there is no grace in what they are seeing. No wisdom. There is only damage and depravity, and the message that power is more important than people, especially if those people are female. If Roy Moore had this same history with 14 year old boys, it would all be very different. He’d be a gay pedophile/monster. But since it is just girls, who can blame him by being bewitched by their “purity“? Of course it is desirable. Of course they wanted his attention. Of course it was okay if he asked their mothers. He’s a godly man, after all. It turns my stomach.
I will never have the platform these evangelical men have, but I will use the small platform I have to say that this isn’t okay. This has nothing to do with my Jesus. There is no room for whataboutism here. If you have been hurt, I will grieve with you. If you need someone to believe you, I will believe you. If you have been told your worth is in your purity, I will tell you that is a lie. You have worth because you are YOU, exactly as you are…every bit of you has value. If you need to be reminded of this, over and over, I will remind you. If someone failed to do these things for you in the past, I am so sorry. We must do better.
Our Life is... 
November 22, 2017 at 1:41 pm
Concerning Roy Moore, here in America you are innocent until proven guilty. If a Deputy DA had ever been banned from a mall, it would have been splashed all over the news. Just about everyone believed that the Duke LaCrosse team had raped the girl that yelled rape. Their lives were ruined until it was proven false! And Judge Moore has said he did not do what these women are saying. Why did they wait until now, he has been in politics for 40 years.
I would hope that if Josh or Nathan or Dad, for that matter, were ever accused of this, I would want them to be seen as innocent until it is proven that they did it, or until they said they did it.
People said things that were not true about me in school, a lot of my friends believed it, they did not ask me if it were true, they just believed it.
Don’t pick up your pitchfork yet.
November 22, 2017 at 2:12 pm
Innocent until proven guilty applies to court of law, not fitness to serve or whether or not someone should be held up as an example of godliness. I said this is not as much about Moore as it is the side of Christianity it has shone a light on. I stand by that, even if you disagree. If someone did this to my kids, I would hope you would side them and not the person who hurt them whether they admitted it or not.
November 22, 2017 at 2:34 pm
The words of these Christians will stand long after this senate race is over, no matter who wins. The damage it is doing to our witness is immense.
November 22, 2017 at 4:03 pm
So Aline… Roy Moore admitted that he really took a hard look at his (now) wife when he was 30 years old… she was only 15. What do you call it when a 30 year old man got horny looking at a 15 year old girl? Blessed?
A cop from his hometown came forward and said that they were regularly tasked with watching Moore to make sure he didn’t harass the cheerleaders at football games….
His friend and pastor came out and confirmed it- saying that he was attracted to the young girls purity and that there weren’t any available women when he got back from Vietnam.
Where is the line?
Here’s a heads up- people who follow Christ follow his example and teachings. that’s why they’re called Christians.
Christ never said this was ok. In fact he was pretty clear it was not at all OK.
He was also pretty clear that using religion to further personal power was an abomination.. and that corrupting the Word of God to advance personal power is a sin… he publicly rebuked those that did this while He was here on Earth.
It’s amazing how history is repeating itself.
Fun Fact, Republicans don’t have any exclusive rights to calling themselves Christians. Democrats can be Christians as well. Independents too. This means that Christians that are Democrats can be fine public servants as well. In fact while we’re into mind blowing facts— just about any religion isn’t exclusive to sound leadership— since this country was founded on a separation of church and state.
Back the topic though. As a #metoo I can’t begin to describe the emotions that welled up from the shadows when Potus said “He said he didn’t do it” as a defense of Moore. I’m not sure why that hurt so much .. especially since he stands accused by more than a dozen women himself and personally bragged about groping women without permission and violating the privacy of underage girls dressing and undresssing at his pageants. Maybe it’s because he’s the leader of the country and sets the tone for the justice department. Maybe it’s because “he said he didn’t do it” will be used in every corner of America now to excuse these deep violations of innocent children. Maybe it’s because it’s the “church” that’s enabling all of this to occur. It feels like the church isn’t home anymore and neither is this country. I don’t recognize either of its faces. Pretty hard to describe this feeling but it’s the best I can do right now…
November 24, 2017 at 3:43 pm
Turn off the political talk podcast and open your bible and read. You are what you eat and it’s very clear from your writings everyday that you are angry and bitter. People (all people everywhere) will ALWAYS get it wrong. Always. You will. The Democrats will, Republicans Will. Your favorite feminist Bitter Christians leaders will. Open your bible and spend you day there. Just there. Pray. Read. Pray. Read. You are what you eat. Your diet consists of angry feminists and angry political junk. It comes out in your writings. It oozes out in your countenance. Spend less time putting your trust in people and all of your time chasing after God.
November 24, 2017 at 6:02 pm
Hey there! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m not sure if we know each other in real life or not, but if so, I am sorry you felt that you needed to tell me these things anonymously. I agree with you that our trust should not be in people, but in God. However, I also feel that as Christians we have a responsibility in how we live our lives and interact with each other and with non-Christians, and I think time spent evaluating that is not a waste. I appreciate the encouragement to spend more time in the Word, that is something we all need. Thanks again.