I hadn’t heard the term sin-leveling, (which makes perfect sense to me) but I have always hated when people tell me I have to forgive an abuser. And anyone who tries to say other sins are the same as abusing a child? They’re making excuses for their own bad behavior. Makes you wonder what they’ve been up to….
So well done. Until we punish child abusers wherever they appear, which is everywhere, ministries of all stripes will receive the most heat. Which may be richly deserved for the hypocrisy but I am not sure the past or future victims can appreciate the nuances. Or should.
Thank you Jennifer for being such a clear writer. You have put into words what I could only feel in my heart! I am sorry for your pain but loved how you ended your article - you were saved by the Holy Spirit - Praise God!
I so appreciate your word on this because it's not just calling out wrong beliefs, but carefully explaining from scripture why they're wrong. I hate when Christians run interference for wolves. It functionally ends up being a sort of moral relativism for conservatives, dispensing cheap grace to every unrepentant charlatan, assuming that if God uses someone, that person is therefore regenerate. Is the bar on the ground?
This category of sin/crime is particularly heinous, and is even more so within the church or from an offender who professes to be a Christian. We are all sinners before God, but to say that all sins are equal is misguided and misleading. There is also the difference of sins committed knowingly and unknowingly. Someone who perpetrates abuse against another person, especially of this nature, knows that what they are doing is wrong, but still they continue. They willfully commit (and perhaps even premeditate) this sin without conscience or repentance.
This man deserves a stricter judgement (James 3:1). On a personal level the friend should extend forgiveness and attempt to bring the friend back to a right relationship with Jesus, but the transgressor should NEVER be allowed to have any authority within the church or to be in any way involved with children.
I hadn’t heard the term sin-leveling, (which makes perfect sense to me) but I have always hated when people tell me I have to forgive an abuser. And anyone who tries to say other sins are the same as abusing a child? They’re making excuses for their own bad behavior. Makes you wonder what they’ve been up to….
EXACTLY! It's such a huge red flag.
So well done. Until we punish child abusers wherever they appear, which is everywhere, ministries of all stripes will receive the most heat. Which may be richly deserved for the hypocrisy but I am not sure the past or future victims can appreciate the nuances. Or should.
Thank you Jennifer for being such a clear writer. You have put into words what I could only feel in my heart! I am sorry for your pain but loved how you ended your article - you were saved by the Holy Spirit - Praise God!
I so appreciate your word on this because it's not just calling out wrong beliefs, but carefully explaining from scripture why they're wrong. I hate when Christians run interference for wolves. It functionally ends up being a sort of moral relativism for conservatives, dispensing cheap grace to every unrepentant charlatan, assuming that if God uses someone, that person is therefore regenerate. Is the bar on the ground?
Thank you so much for sharing this message.
This category of sin/crime is particularly heinous, and is even more so within the church or from an offender who professes to be a Christian. We are all sinners before God, but to say that all sins are equal is misguided and misleading. There is also the difference of sins committed knowingly and unknowingly. Someone who perpetrates abuse against another person, especially of this nature, knows that what they are doing is wrong, but still they continue. They willfully commit (and perhaps even premeditate) this sin without conscience or repentance.
This man deserves a stricter judgement (James 3:1). On a personal level the friend should extend forgiveness and attempt to bring the friend back to a right relationship with Jesus, but the transgressor should NEVER be allowed to have any authority within the church or to be in any way involved with children.