1/ Most will agree that sexual assault is morally heinous. Yet the general public remains alarmingly ignorant of the nature and degree of the life-altering trauma experienced by victims of assault/abuse. This may be especially so among morally conservative Christians.
Put another way, sexual assault—perhaps for having been kept in society’s shadows for so long—remains vague at best in our moral imagination. This makes it disturbingly easy, even instinctive, to dismiss/minimize allegations of assault as being selfishly or politically motivated.
2/ Most are committed to due process, agree that falsely accusing an innocent person is unjust, contemptible. But far too many display a rashness that betrays a willingness to trample on the innocent (as moral collateral damage?) for the sake of winning their political war.
3/ Despite what they say, “Winning” is still the objective in this arena. Jurisprudence, ethics, decency, and the protection of the vulnerable is bent in service to that ultimate end. The moral calculus, simply put, is that the ends justify the means.
Sadly, some are consciously willing to compromise principle for partisan gain. Far more are so beholden to partisan identity, so scripted by tribal talking points, that they do so subconsciously—which might be worse.
4/ We have a political system that may be sufficiently capable of ensuring equity and due process for the accused. But we have political norms that enable willful partisan blindness and reward disinterest in ascertaining the truth.
But what we do not have is a system that adequately protects alleged victims at their most vulnerable. When it’s “his word against hers,” generally speaking, the benefit of the doubt is granted to him. This needs to be examined further.
5/ Christians ought far be better than the rest. Unfortunately, too often we are the worst. We confuse moral clarity with political certainty and, therefore, too often become the most stubborn and self-righteous of all partisan hacks. Have mercy on us, O Lord.
