Depending on the definition of “sexual abuse,” various studies show that an alarming number of children, both female and male are sexually abused. A 1996 Canada’s Child and Family Service Annual Report indicated that amongst the adults served, 53% of women and 31% of men were sexually abused as children. I suspect the rates are similar in the United States.
The question that many who are abused naturally ask, particularly when the abuser is within the church, is, “Why did God allow this to happen to me?” It is a legitimate question. Why doesn’t God protect them? It is hard to fathom how, if Jesus has saved them, he has not protected them. It is hard to fathom how, if Jesus changes and transforms lives through his spirit, he allows abusers to sexually abuse innocent children. It is hard to fathom how spiritual leaders, who claim to be and are viewed by their congregants as God’s servants who are guided by God’s spirit, can cover-up a sex abuser’s actions and quietly reassign him to another congregation.
I see four possible conclusions:
• God’s will is for these children to be abused. This viewpoint is widely dismissed, as it turns God into a monster.
• God is ineffective in stopping abuse. This position turns God into either being powerless and short of what is claimed about his character, or, contrary what it taught in the churches, God does not intervene in the created order and people’s lives.
• These abusers are not within the will of God and their actions are contrary to his wishes. This option means that we are unable to know with any certainty whether a person is a true believer following God’s leading or not. It also means that God intentionally allows the abuse to happen.
• God does not exist.
When dealing with this type of issue, the tendency is for Christians to focus upon sin of the unbeliever or the immature Christian. These foci allow them to avoid dealing with a much more difficult issue, namely, the despicable acts that often flow from the hearts of those who, by all other measures, appear to be godly in their talk and conduct. These people are found in all levels of church leadership, from the local pastore to the top levels of denominational administration. To claim that they are not “truly” saved causes one to view all testimonies with askance and question whether anyone is “truly” saved.
A common response is that, even though a person is saved, sin remains. People are saved by God’s grace and will continue to be even though they still continue to sin. For the sake of argument, I will accept this view for a moment. Luther and Calvin maintained that human nature is caught so tightly in the grip of sin that, without God’s mercy and saving grace, and the infusion of Jesus’ love and character into a believer’s life, no one could be saved in the first place. In other words, God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, overrides the people’s natures and strongly compels them to love him, but he does not compel them to stop sinning after they are saved.
If I accepted that explanation, it still does not put God in a favorable light. Though God has power to override the will of a person and save the abuser, either God does not use that same power to change the abuser’s heart and thereby protect an innocent child from a “saved” abuser, or God lacks the ability to save and change the hearts in the first place.
Most visitors to the chapel are likely to say, as I do, that the abuser’s life is not changed in any way because the supernatural divinity as taught in churches does not exist.
– the deacon
The Ridger
October 1, 2008 at 6:23 pm
You forgot a reason: God does not – could, but does not – intervene. The reason is that, essentially, whatever happens to those children can be turned to good, but if God intervened to stop the adult it would be contravening free will, which is more important to God than the suffering of a body, even a child’s. Hmmm. Maybe that’s just a nuance of three. But we can tell “by their fruit” who is doing God’s will.
After all, if God stopped such behavior, it would follow that people were only “good” out of fear.
Wait a minute. That sounds kind of familiar.
PhillyChief
October 1, 2008 at 6:51 pm
That same god who won’t intervene on bad things due to that free will thing is regularly called upon to intervene for good things and is claimed to have done so by believers, crediting it with everything from finding car keys to life saving feats. So with that in mind, the believer is between a rock and a hard place because either you:
A. Accept that he can and does intervene, but for some reason chose not to with the kids
or
B. He absolutely doesn’t, under any circumstances, intervene, so all that prayer business is a waste of time and the claims of healing and so forth must be bunk.
Tough.
Carolyn
October 1, 2008 at 6:56 pm
In the old testament…God carried one of the prophets on a spiritual tour to show him the evil performed even in the Temple inner chamber where only the priests were allowed to go (I don’t remember the exact place the scripture is found…but you probably do). God and the prophet spiritually “saw” things done by the priests described as ‘UNSPEAKABLE.’ Remember, that in Revelations…Jesus said to one of the churches, “I know where Satan’s seat is in your congregation.” Teaching within our churches are not always Biblical truths. Tradition and familiar doctrines are often the norm…such as the shallow teaching related to ‘once saved-always saved.” The Bible is clear that God CAN and DOES ‘sanctify’ believers who are genuine and have sought the intimate relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Scriptures reminds….’narrow is the way and few will find it.” I know people personally who have ‘relationship’ with Christ…and not just church-pew religion (you know you’ve passed from death to life if you love the brethren). These genuine Christians would NEVER abuse a child since agape love is in their hearts. Only God knows whether or not a person is ‘saved.’ But, ‘by their fruits ye shall know them.’ NT teachings are clear concerning grace and sin. “…shall we sin that Grace may abound. God forbid!” Going to church is very popular. Righteousness is not! The true Body of Christ is alive and well in temples of flesh….not in wood or brick buildings. “What, don’t you know your body is the temple of God?” The real Church is ‘lively stones…fitly joined together.’ These lively stones are present in many churches…..only God knows ‘who’ and ‘where.’
Concerning child abuse…I will never forget, about twenty years ago, seeing a mother whose five-year-old daughter had been raped and murdered. Many asked her, “How could you love and serve a God who would allow this to happen.” The mother answered, “If she had survived, I might have questioned the realness of God. But the God I love and know showed infinite mercy in allowing her to ‘move from death to life. The God I know and love took her spirit out of the horror she was experiencing. WOW! There’s food for thought!
I believe the fall of man was purposed (Let’s make man in our image/after the tree of knowledge episode..He said, “Behold, the man has become as we are..knowing both good and evil). I truly believe He often intervenes in life situations. But the purpose of being in this ‘death’ is to experience or “know” its nature. Knowing the nature of evil is to know the pureness of God. To truly know death (evil) is to understand life (the righteousness of God). He always uses natural things to reveal spiritual things. The wonderful reality, though, is that while we live physically in ‘death’ (this physical existence), we move from death to life..spiritually. That is how I have peace that passes understanding. That is why I have no fear concerning things in this life. I do not worry about my children and grandchildren since I have put them in the Father’s care (the battle is the Lord’s).
I believe the world is as it was revealed by Daniel to the King of Babylon when he saw the ‘image of a man.’ The head, as you know, was gold but the metals became less valuable as time went by….all the way to the ten toes (part iron/part miry clay). We seem to be in the ten-toe time. Because we are very near the ‘miry clay’ time (reign of the anti-Christ), we are seeing more and more evil. If we are that near the end of physical existence called the world….it won’t get better..but worse. “Let not your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid.”
Didn’t intend to say so much. But I wanted to remind the realness of God and good. It exists in the same world as Satan and evil. We just choose between the two. Paula White is a great example of a child who was abused by her father….and God turned it to good. She’s a fantastic spiritual leader and has incredible compassion for those who have gone through the same horrors (“help with the help you’ve been given”).
Enjoyed your blog. God bless.
the deacon
October 1, 2008 at 9:23 pm
The Ridger ….you are correct in that the issue of free will is encompassed in that statement in point three of God intentionally allowing the abuse to take place. I have not wanted to deal separately with the issue of free will as a different point since there is an array of theological understandings of the extent and nature of free will.
Carolyn….though we have differences of opinion offering your thoughts in a respectful manner is welcomed at the chapel. We all celebrate when a child who has suffered abuse works through her/his pain to build a productive balanced life. Unfortunately, there are too many who do not find peace and wholeness. The central issue of the blog is not focused upon evil persons outside the church or even church people who attend services more as a social act. The abusers this post has in mind are individuals who claim to have great faith, and even hold key leadership positions, and who from all other measures are passionate and living the Christian life. In other words, they are the people who are viewed as being guided by God’s spirit. The question remains, if God does not keep these people from sexually abusing innocent children, then what does that say about the nature of God or God’s influence over their lives, or about God’s power to influence the world.
If as Philly says, people pray for guidance to find a set of keys and claim that God helps them to find those keys, then that says God is very active in the lives. It says that God interacts with believers, intimately interacts with them even on matters of finding keys or helping them to choose what meal to serve a guest. If God is that intimately involved in helping in such situations, then why is God not helping to keep church leaders and other committed Christians from abusing children? If he guides and helps on minor matters, why does God not prevent them from doing a despicable act?
How the woman you cited viewed the death of her daughter was of comfort her. I will not take issue with her over a concept in which she found solace at tragic moment. Though I cannot and will not criticize her, just because she took solace in a concept does not make it true. It does not serve as proof of God’s existence. If Christians extend her reasoning, they are then faced with a more difficult situation, then why does God allows other children to survive? And if he allows them to survive what does that suggest about his character? For me the issue is moot as I cannot hold that a divinity is at play or work at that moment one way or the other.
athinkingman
October 2, 2008 at 3:19 am
I liked the argument about god pre-ordaining people to be saved but not to stop sinning. After half a life-time in ‘reformed’ church circles, I had never thought of that. Strange how when we are inside something, we can be so blind to obvious things, isn’t it.
yunshui
October 2, 2008 at 4:46 am
Carolyn:
“Concerning child abuse…I will never forget, about twenty years ago, seeing a mother whose five-year-old daughter had been raped and murdered. Many asked her, “How could you love and serve a God who would allow this to happen.” The mother answered, “If she had survived, I might have questioned the realness of God. But the God I love and know showed infinite mercy in allowing her to ‘move from death to life. The God I know and love took her spirit out of the horror she was experiencing. WOW! There’s food for thought!”
So it’s all okay because God allowed the child to be murdered, as well as raped? Well that’s just dandy, then.
PhillyChief
October 2, 2008 at 7:54 am
I was going to add that Christians would choose:
C. Contort themselves to the point where they can shove their heads up their own asses, oblivious to the logical inconsistencies and reality before them so they can continue to believe,
but I was sure there would be one that would pop in and demonstrate this so I didn’t feel the need. Sure enough, I was right.
I’m just curious, if a father turned a blind eye to his daughter being raped and then killed her, offering the murder was an act of love and infinite mercy in that it permitted her to escape the horror she was experiencing and “move from death to life”, would we celebrate this man or call for a lethal needle to go into his arm?
bitchspot
October 2, 2008 at 11:05 am
Philly, you have to remember that even in the Bible, Lot offered his two virgin daughters to be raped rather than allow angels to be abused and God was apparently good with that. This is nothing new, but you’re right, Christians will contort themselves into pretzels to find a non-abhorrent way of looking at the clear and obvious teachings of the Bible.
PhillyChief
October 2, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Well god loves shit like that, offering up your kids. Don’t forget that Abraham and Isaac story. You know, maybe their god just doesn’t like kids. I mean think about it. You have the slaughter of the innocents, smashing the babies on the rocks, maulings by bears, and of course rapings by priests and ministers. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m sympathetic. Kids can really suck, you know? But really, that god is a tad heavy handed.
the deacon
October 2, 2008 at 7:04 pm
athinkingman, thank you for bringing another element into the mix. There are people who will recognize an inconsistency between one element of a teaching and another. Since they have a desire to believe, those elements are held in a tension or compartmentalized and viewed as different elements. Some will rationalization the tension by noting that there are many mysteries in life that are beyond their understanding, and once such a rationalization sets in, rarely is the matter explored further.
To be fair, holding two points in conflict happens in other areas of life. A politician does not support a particular bill that he knows will make a big difference simply because to support the bill “will be contrary the economic principles he and others in his party hold.” He votes against a measure that he acknowledges will make a difference rather than to question the box he has constructed to view how the economy functions. For over a year, at the White House and Capitol Hill (with both parties), we have had a host of denials and contorted explanations that do not match what Main Street is experiencing and the red flags that are appearing again and again.
OneSmallStep
October 3, 2008 at 3:36 pm
**When dealing with this type of issue, the tendency is for Christians to focus upon sin of the unbeliever or the immature Christian.**
It’s even more intense if someone brings up a horrific event on a global scale, or happening to a group of people. Whenever someone has an issue with reconciling the evil in the world with the Christian God, the Christian response never seems to address the huge moral situation there, but rather tells the person asking the question they are full of pride, or that the person was selfish and didn’t get what s/he wanted from God. The non-Christian tends to get addressed personally, rather than the Christian addressing the substance of the argument itself. Maybe it’s a protective measure for the Christian, in order to still believe in a good God?
I was just recently involved in a discussion about some of the horrific things in the Bible. One of the Christian responses was that God gets to destroy His creation and that’s okay, much like how we get to destroy paintings that aren’t working out for us.
The flaw in that analogy is that in order for it work, it’s saying that what paintings are to us, we are to God. So in order for this wrath to be okay, people are dehumanized until they’re nothing more than paintings.
And yet, Christians also say that we have incredible worth and value to God, we must love one another because God loves us, we are made in the image and likeness of God.
Since I’ve pointed this out, I’ve pretty much been told that I’m using pride, I have contempt for God, not reason, my argument is ridiculous because I’m pro-choice, I can’t truly love creation since I’m not pro-life, I’m making myself out to be a god, I’m a hypocrite, I’m deceiving myself for not taking a “laisser faire” approach to God’s judgement, and thus corrupting any sort of judgement I could have.
And all I did was point out the difficulty behind the analogy.
PhillyChief
October 4, 2008 at 10:56 am
OneSmallStep – It’s called an “ad hominem“. When you can’t or don’t want to address the substance of someone’s argument, you instead attack the person in hopes that by discrediting the arguer, you then discredit the argument. Although reprehensible, it’s understandable that they do this since they simply can’t argue against the substance of your points. Attacking you as prideful and arrogant helps them avoid your points, perhaps even sparing them the painful reality of having to consider them themselves for if they can convince themselves that you’re just saying such things because you’re an asshole, then they don’t have to consider them, do they?
The Exterminator
October 4, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Deacon:
Yup. Your conclusions go back to Epicurus’s little epigram on the Problem of Evil, don’t they?
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent. (Your second conclusion)
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent. (Your first conclusion)
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil? (Your third concluson, with the first one also implied)
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God? (Your last conclusion)
You did a very nice job making this ancient “puzzle” concrete and applicable to 2008.
the deacon
October 4, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Ex…thank you for sharing Epicurus’s epigram. He sums it up in a concise manner.
Sean the Blogonaut
October 5, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Have any of you watched the series of shows by Jonathon Miller? The guy that plays Theoden in lord of the rings does the Epicurus voice over. Damn cool if you ask me.
Mr.Pendent
October 9, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Sorry for the necromantic posting…
“Concerning child abuse…I will never forget, about twenty years ago, seeing a mother whose five-year-old daughter had been raped and murdered. Many asked her, “How could you love and serve a God who would allow this to happen.” The mother answered, “If she had survived, I might have questioned the realness of God. But the God I love and know showed infinite mercy in allowing her to ‘move from death to life. The God I know and love took her spirit out of the horror she was experiencing. WOW! There’s food for thought!”
This type of experience served as the element that freed me fully from the constraints of “faith”.
In college, I had a girlfriend who had been abused as a child for something close to a decade. That girl had some serious issues, as you might imagine, and I struggled for a long time trying to figure it out.
The horror of seeing her flashbacks was itself incredible; I can’t even begin to imagine what the experiences were like the first time.
“These genuine Christians would NEVER abuse a child since agape love is in their hearts.”
This is just a cop-out. If you can’t tell a non-genuine Christian priest from a genuine Christian priest, then we can only conclude that there is no difference. Or that the Pope, guided by the hand of god and chosen as his representative, was unable to spot an agent of Satan even as they shook hands. Additionally, this tries to redirect the argument–”See, it’s not the omniscient, omnipotent, all-loving, all-good god that is at fault! It’s that not-quite-a-Christian there! If someone were to walk up to you on the street and claim to be all-powerful you would at least scoff at them and tell them to prove it. Yet when someone tells you there is someone, somewhere, whom you can’t see, can’t talk to but he is all-knowing and all-powerful, people accept it without a thought.
The real nail in the coffin of my “faith,” however, was the people who tried to claim that god’s ways were mysterious. And once I heard that, it was over. Because either there was no god, or there was a god who thought that some end–any end–could justify that kind of horror. If he was, and even if he was everything people said, I wanted nothing to do with him.
As far as the woman in the anecdote–whatever helps her survive is fine to tell herself, IMO, but for someone else to believe that–someone not grieving the loss of their child–is just plain sick.
pen
January 22, 2012 at 5:39 pm
it seems there is great hypocricy! You all talk about free will…free will of the abuser….where is the free will of the victim when is abused?
Instead of finding reasons and explanations which are attributed to god’s will or higher purposes, it would be more courageous and honest to just see that many people are criminals and are out of jail.
Also many religious people they are ‘experts’ at explaining horrific crimes and see the purpose behind injustices that take place around them, because they are just so devoid of any essential compassion or anything good that they can offer to sufferers. The only thing that people offer is an analysis and words but no actions. That’s our world, we allow everything to happen and then we find a higher purpose excuse, just in order to avoid feeling uncomfortable or guilty for our doing nothing about any injustice.
Alleviate suffering if you can, don’t theorize about it. And if you can’t just respect it, don’t offer theories, your theories will not change the world or stop any suffering.
Keep it like that, talk about god, as if you talk everyday with him….it seems you have good reception signal… hahaha
but at the same time, if you see anyone suffering, turn your back, or offer explanations, or tell them what they did wrong or right….or condemn them, or label them as something which justifies your indifference, hypocricy or even toxic heart.
Well done folks, I am impressed, everything has been turned into a discourse analysis….only that, analysis and thoughts don’t offer anything, they have not even any human warmth. You approach everything with your mind, cause you have no heart anymore… what happened, are you so get used to death????
Roland Boudreu
February 24, 2012 at 10:32 pm
Why we alway”s believed what religion said about God,sin and hell..Maybe none of this exit that its all there to scare,control and manipulate humans being..Look now how religion is abusing peoples in the world ,,is this God will..no
My God is ,,that we are humans making mistake, lot of mistakes and God let us grow..that make more sense than all the crap and abusifs way of the church.