Female evangelical leaders call on the church to speak out on violence against women

[guillaumeb]

From the article:

More than 140 evangelical Christian women from across the political and theological spectrums have signed onto a statement calling churches to end the silence around violence against women and the church’s participation in it.

To read more:

http://religionnews.com/2017/12/20/female-evangelical-leaders-call-on-church-to-speak-out-on-sex-abuse/

[Igel]

1. The chain of organizations that mine belongs to always has.

The problem is that while it says to treat women with respect and is horribly old-fashioned in many respects, it also teaches forgiveness and acknowledges that those who act badly and ask for forgiveness may again act badly.

Then again, members of "my church" in the 1940s were in jail as conscientious objectors. Fight Hitler or do jail time? They picked jail time.

However, if a minister or elder acts badly against a woman or child, that person is out of the (lay) ministry. And that was always the way it was said to be done, and for unimportant people that's the way it was done. Decades (many, by now) some movers and shakers thought themselves above the Law. For that, the church later came to realize, they'd have to answer. It being a church and all that, and those involved being mostly dead. In some cases, though, the top-ranking offending minister found himself with a flock of one--himself.

What's changed overall are two things: The willingness to speak out and the eagerness to judge and not forgive. "I'm sorry" is merely grounds for claiming in court that the person admitted guilt and should be punished. No wrong, real or merely perceived, must be left unpunished by "civil" society.

[guillaumeb]

2. Well said.

Forgiveness is an issue. While we are counselled to forgive, we are also counselled to go and sin no more.

So how do we balance that, as well as acknowledge the demands of civil law?