This happens in businesses, universities, politics, families, and so many places.
But we’re talking about the church because it boasts being so good to and for people. Too many highly respected spiritual leaders leave victims in their wake...
I’ve experienced this and I know so many others who have as well.
I have stories and I hear stories every single day.
It’s not rare. It’s rampant.
More stories will emerge as people no longer settle for silence.
I have a few conclusions:
When they say, “Keep this a secret so as not to bring disrepute on the ministry”, believe them. They’re right!
They know this because what they’re doing is wrong. They saw their ruin coming.
Such spiritual leaders claim their teaching demands complete acceptance to be completely effective in your life. Don’t you wonder why their own teaching was so ineffective in their own lives
By their fruit you will know them.
We must analyze the theology of such abusive teachers because I think there’s something amiss. They felt something in their theology allowed them to behave the way they did with impunity.
Finally, they say the good outweighs the bad. Their victims don’t say this. The victims should be heard. The fact there are victims betrays a complete and catastrophic failure.
Let’s do an experiment:
You have the chance to save one person from abuse OR listen to a wonderful sermon. Which would you choose?
We know what their fans would choose.
We know what their victims would choose.
I have a lot of friends and family who are single, many of them women. Sure, they might always or sometimes wish they had a good partner, but all of them are able to be happy, confident, and lead fulfilling lives as singles.
There's a stigma to being single in many circles, including or especially in Christian ones. Don't let ignorance or ignorant words destroy your capacity to enjoy yourself and your solitude!
These are some microaggressions that single women often endure.
After you've had a read, I'd love to hear from you about microaggressions you've faced so we can face them head on, together.
I’ve been thinking about the ways we celebrate love. Valentine's Day is coming up and traditionally its been centered on very stereotypical, heteronormative kind of love.
Well F*** that!
Our community is so incredibly diverse and I love that we come together to celebrate each other.
This year, I'm committed to creating a space for us to celebrate love in every shape, size, expression and sexuality. To let you put your love out there for the world to see 🧡
My wife Lisa is a nurse, in her workplace, the patient gets to choose who their family is. Even if it's non-traditional or breaks stereotypes.
This is a philosophy we can adopt with the concept of love. No matter what it looks like, the choice is valid, and always ours to make.
I've come to realise that many of these churches, like in my cartoon today, do not think that what they're doing is evil.
They have rationalised their actions and really believe that they're doing the "right thing".
They disagree with an "idea" that contradicts their beliefs and they remove or restrict those who believe or live or embody that idea. The idea can be many things. Often it is more than an idea, it is a soul, wonderfully and uniquely shaped and worthy of genuine love and kindness
Today I'd like to invite you in, for a discussion about the waves in which our belief in God changes, grows or transforms. I'd love for you to share your thoughts with me once you've had a read
If your belief in God has changed over time then today's conversation about #Deconstruction and my walk with God is for you!
Have the shifts in your belief caused you guilt or anxiety?
My cartoon and this thread about The Four Gods Of #Deconstruction show you the 4 stages of my belief in God may help unpack those feelings.