When you blame Victims - You Get What You Honor

I have been reading around the Internet covering all the different opinions regarding the Tina Anderson Story that was released on 20/20.

Its quite amazing the different stands that people can come up with.

There was one quote that truly stuck a cord with me:

You Get What You Honor - from one article I read.

Ever since the sexual abuse scandals has come out within the Catholic Church others have loved how they can point fingers at them. They love to act as if it’s only a CATHOLIC problem.

Danni Moss of Because It Matters used to write articles about all the different scandals that broke regarding basically the same ‘root’ issue, but different versions of it. If you read the comments on her blog regarding these scandals you see people sticking up for the accused, and blaming the victim.

It’s a repeated theme on every story she wrote about. How adults shouldn’t be made responsible for the adult’s choice alone, and how the children need to step up and accept their share of the blame.

It’s a matter of convenience for adults. They teach their children they are not ready for adult choices due to their immaturity, and yet when something seriously happens? The opposite seems to be the case.

They are not yet prepared for those choices, and we must not treat them as if they were.

To quote Kevin T. Bauder and his article responding to the Scandal

WELL it seems until your honored hierarchy is involved in some cases.

You can read dozens of rants on how people within the IFB are angry about being broad brushed, and yet again if you read Danni Moss’s blog the response to sexual abuse is very common. No one speaks out about that.  Where is the angry over that?

So what can we conclude?

You Get What You Honor



Its a very telling - very small little sentence.  Yet it says so much about mankind.

This is not the place to evaluate the truth of individual claims. In a few instances individuals have probably been accused unfairly. Over the past five years, however, too many of these episodes have been verified for us to dismiss them all. Men have gone to prison. More should. The problem is too widespread and has affected too many of the different networks of fundamentalism to permit us to believe that it is merely anomalous or that it is limited only to one branch of fundamentalism.

What is being exposed within fundamentalism is heinous. Pastors, missionaries, and deacons have preyed upon the powerless. Even worse, Christian leaders and Christian organizations have covered up the commission of these crimes. The effect has been to protect the perpetrators. Those who have suffered most—the victims—have been denied justice and have seen their abusers keep their freedom, their livelihoods, and sometimes even their positions of leadership.

So what are we supposed to do? If we are interested in truth and right, if we want to see Christ’s name exalted and not besmirched, and if we care about people, how should we respond to these reports?

In the past it has been to blame the victims of these crimes!

The fellowship isn't responsible for one sinner's crime.  Their response of putting the children under the bus in order to save the sinner?  They are guilty of the slander you hear so many write about in regards to ABC's 20/20 program.  The fact that people KNOW this happens, and won't speak about it?  How they won't acknowledge it?

I can't help but stop to wonder if they realize such an stand can open the door to such abuses within their own church or place of worship.  When it does?  Will their denial also help them not allow them to take some of the blame for refusing to see truth?

Blaming a secular media show for our own actions, statements, and attitudes that EVERYONE knows is there?  We are all 'guilty by association' when we respond POORLY - in words, actions and attitudes.  It doesn't matter if we are IFB or any other name we which to identify ourselves with.

YOU GET WHAT YOU HONOR...

When it takes a secular media show to point out things that SHOULD have been addressed so many times, and yet WERE NOT!

Its amazing how they get MAD at the 20/20 show about broad brushes, and guilt by association, and how they are NOT cults, etc.

Yet Tina Anderson's story was in the news over a year ago, and instead of acknowledging it - people have tried their hardest to distant themselves from it.

When the story goes national, and they CAN'T get away from it?  They are forced to face it, and their defensiveness does not honor Christ's name.  Silence is also blaming the victim.  Jesus has asked you to stand with the victims, and you choose not to.

When you blame Victims - You Get What You Honor!

The churches actions to make this right?  We will see if they learned, or if some are just good at the lip service.

 20/20 show online

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