WARNING SIGNS I
I turned slowly and grabbed my pillow, breathing in fresh linen and warmth. It was to be a good night’s sleep. I pulled the covers and my Bible remained anchored. My other stack had sunk and left impressions in the down in puffy mounds. I remained undisturbed. Waking early, next morning, a trickle of my hair trailed across the floor, with dust and folds of my cloth band I wore around my bun in the back. I had not moved. Guarded by my Bible I had slept. Yet there were indications there had been intrusion. A clip of my hair was missing in a cut off place behind my ear.
WARNING SIGNS II
I rested undisturbed while reading Bible verses. The pages were reminders, my “diary.” A quiet rustle blew across its corners that curled. And I worked them, unfurling them, so I could read the corners and notes. Nudging, the Spirit stirred me, and I turned. There I saw that a man was watching me through binoculars at some distance. And he ducked in weeds when I looked at him.
WARNING SIGNS III
I stood in the hall. Bright sun shone. And I looked out. Across the large pane windows I looked. I was headed to study. Then my eye caught on to something of attention. I saw the edge of a man’s shirt, hearing the words, “Do you want it or not?!!” It echoed a little in the hall, though it appeared no one else heard. It was crowded. A girl standing in front of a boy looked at the space between the bottom of his shirt and the top of his pants. He exposed his sex organs to her. They were hanging from below the bottom of his shirt.
I made gestures and a man across the hall finally noticed.
But not interpreting, he waltzed, with a finger in the air by his nose as if wondering, yet not noticing the boy that ran nor or the girl that fled.
REAL THREAT
Places that can be havens can be threats. In 1997 Christianity Today cited, “Although sexual abuse cases involving clergy often provoke national media attention, new research points toward church volunteers and other staff as being more likely to sexually abuse church members.”[1] The evil appears to be intruding. As cited in Christianity Today, paid staff account for just 30 percent of perpetrators, while 20 percent are children, and 50 percent are volunteers.[2] There is danger in increasing ways as evil gains entrance.
According to the TVPA, Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, human trafficking occurs where, “a person was induced to perform labor or a commercial sex act through force, fraud, or coercion.”[3] It at times involves coercion in varying degrees in various church situations that gain public attention, as churches serve as havens, in differing ways. They serve as havens for predators.
In the United Kingdom for example it was noted of prison inmates, “Some use faith to justify their wrongs.”[4] Explaining, “one prison worker told The Times about a man who claimed to believe that God had put a girl victim in his path, so He must be responsible for what happened to her."[5]
Like the group that set out to attack angels come to warn Lot before the destruction of Sodom, it cannot be construed those targeted are bringing attack on themselves (Genesis 19:5, 11).
Those so maligned cannot fathom being blamed. But it is necessary to underscore caution as some blame targeted persons. Tamara Menteer of the Whitestone Foundation that assists after sexual assault states, “Many people, without admitting it, remain fixed on the idea that victims somehow bring the assault upon themselves.”[6] But like the group that set out to attack angels that had come to warn Lot before the destruction of Sodom, it cannot be construed that those targeted are necessarily bringing onslaught on themselves (Genesis 19:5, 11). It may well be the opposite.
For example, a woman attacked cannot be expected to sit in a pew with damage, injuries, feeling of violation. And then have the attacker also in the pew be advised that he did not do anything wrong. For example The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, of the Philadelphia archdiocese, where they were criticized for hiding abuse, “its former archbishops and other leaders concealed and facilitated clergy sex abuse of children for decades.”[7]
The plight is an ongoing problem. So it leads to further abuse as laymen are exacerbating the debauchery. Cited in the United Kingdom, “You still get churches making crazy decisions about people who come into their congregations -'we have forgiven them so that's all that matters'.”[8] That philosophy is practiced while unfortunately it might not be Biblically applicable for sexual trafficking and other crimes to go unreported—nor is it Biblically applicable to conceal criminal behavior. Biblical theology is required to address the dilemma. And it may indeed also require turning themselves in.
Sexually addicted masses cannot be allowed to impose on those practicing restraint.
Christian Century wrote in 2008 regarding a bishop “guilty of not responding appropriately to sexual abuse committed by his brother against a teenage girl more than three decades ago.”[9] So it is not appropriate to further target the injured woman by blaming her for the evil ideas of assailants. All assailants need to be confronted and arraigned.
In “Let’s Talk about Sex: Equipping Ministers for the Twenty‐first Century” Carla A. Grosch‐Miller writes of, “Enabling Critical Thinking about Emotionally Charged Topics and the Integration of Cognition with Emotion and Experience.”[10] She writes of standards that might be applied in relating to targeted individuals.[11] It is imperative that they, regarding sexual threat, have the opportunity to speak for themselves, expressing their own standards. It has been cited in New Internationalist that, “richer nations are treating traumatized people as criminals, often failing to recognize the signs of trafficking.”[12] Having opportunity to speak for themselves may assist in uncovering further attempts against them, as there are cases of abuse that continue for years, brainwashing the victims (by agony and injury) that is perpetrated by their assailants.]13] Often the victims are children.
Evil thrives where concealed.
Churches in Europe for example were warned in 2004, “The trafficking of so many women and children is a human rights abuse that shames us all,” as cited by Baroness Sarah Ludford, a member of the European Parliament.[14] Stalkers prey on those that are vulnerable. And where might they be more vulnerable than in the hallway of a church where they feel it might be more trusting?
Stalking is defined as a, “person who intentionally and repeatedly follows or harasses another person and who makes a credible threat, either expressed or implied, with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily harm.”[15]
In the Catholic church, “Bishops who protect abusive priests and put them in positions that allow them to abuse again are arguably ‘obstructing justice’ and ‘accessories to the crime’ of the priest,” claimed the governor of Oklahoma, Frank Keating, who had been positioned on a review board in 2002 to look into the matter.[16] So the threat in the churches is staggering.
Christianity Today cited in 2003, “Each year, two million women and children worldwide have sex with strangers only because someone kidnaps them and threatens to kill them."[17] Combining that threat with information as cited by the Michigan State Police web site, there is great risk, as there are those that are drugged that do not remember incidents in which they were attacked.[18] It is an increasing problem. The Michigan State Police’ site explains—“victims were unaware they had been assaulted until they identified themselves in photographs that had been seized by law enforcement officials."[19]
In “Beyond Myths and Denial: What Church Communities Need to Know About Sexual Abusers” Pegi Taylor writes, “Whether the victim was a child or an adult at the time of the assault or abuse, long-term consequences can include posttraumatic stress (with possible symptoms of nightmares, numbness and jumpiness).”[20] While jumpiness can appear pale in comparison to severe bodily harm it may reflect it, as it may be indicative of hidden injuries.[21] Because cases against children can be concealed, causing severe trauma, which indicates neurological damage, as done to memory, it can be mandatory that parents check their children for signs of attack.
It is cited that, “Most sexual abusers plan carefully. Over a period of time, the abuser ‘grooms’ a victim.”[22] So another child hanging all over a child may indicate a predator.[23]
Assisting a person that attacked someone sexually, like some do in churches, makes them a part of the evil against that attacked person. Churches cannot Biblically conceal crime. To do so is to be accessories of a kind or a trafficker of a sort.
Those attacked cannot be left with their organs damaged, hemorrhaging and bleeding, in the name of Christianity. So laws regarding aiding and abetting come into play, “Aiding and abetting generally means to somehow assist in the commission” of it all.[24]
But scripture mandates:
- Romans 13:3-4, indicating that criminals are required to serve their prison times
- Proverbs 24:11-12, indicating that God requires defense of the innocent
- Luke 17:29-30, indicating that Jesus had perspective on judgment, like at Sodom
Like the stigma involved in the incidents that occurred in the Mormon compound, cultural disapproval should be aimed directly and equally—indiscriminately—at that kind of anti-social antics.[25] The church cannot be involved in any anarchy giving approval to that kind of crime. It is not only cultic, it is criminal. And the cultic, regardless of where the group might be, whether it is Mormon, or any other organization, is to be labeled “not okay to do, to anybody.”
There should be no discrimination.
To attempt such against those targeted is not different than reading the latest issue of Hustler. Though perhaps by the difference, being, women in agreement.
Or are they?
[1] Mary Cagney, "Sexual Abuse in Churches Not Limited to Clergy," Christianity Today, 6 October 1997, 90.
[2] Ibid. Also, Gregory Love and Kimberlee Norris, "Sexual Abuses Issues in the Church: Raising the Bar," Christianity Today, 4 April 2008; available from http://www.christianitytoday.com/childrensministry/operations/sexualabuseinthechurch.html?start=2; Internet; accessed 11 June 2009, "'Peer-to-peer' abuse, children abusing other children, has risen dramatically within the past decade. Criminal prosecutors report nearly 300 percent increase in reports of peer-to-peer abuse in the past five years.”
[3] "Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents," Bureau of Justice Statistics (January 2009).
[4] "Prison figures show a link between six crime and religion," The Times, 25 November 2006, 24.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Pegi Taylor, "Beyond Myths and Denial: What Church Communities Need to Know About Sexual Abusers," America, 1 April 2002, 10.
[7] David O’Reilly and Nancy Phillips, "Grand jury criticizes Philadelphia archdiocee for hiding abuse," Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 September 2005.
[8] "Prison figures show a link between six crime and religion," The Times, 25 November 2006, 24.
[9] "Episcopal court finds bishop guilty of hiding abuse by brother," Christian Century, 29 July 2008, 15.
[10] Carla A. Grosch‐Miller, "Let’s Talk about Sex: Equipping Ministers for the Twenty‐first Century," The Journal of Adult Theological Education (2008): 60.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Vanessa Baird, "Trafficked," New Internationalist, September 2007, 7.
[13] Martin Teicher, "Scars That Won’t Heal: The Neurobiology of Child Abuse," Scientific American, March 2002, 286.
[14] "Europeans warned on female trafficking," Christian Century, 27 January 2004, 18.
[15] "Stalking Law & Legal Definition," U.S. Legal, 2008; available from http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/stalking/; Internet; accessed 11 June 2009.
[16] "Head of Sex Abuse Panel May Ask for Bishops’ Resignations," America, 1-8 July 2002, 6.
[17] Wendy Murray Zoba, "The Hidden Slavery," Christianity Today, November 2003, 69.
[18] Michigan State Police, "Rape Drug Awareness," available from http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1589_4580---,00.html; Internet; accessed 11 June 2009.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Pegi Taylor, "Beyond Myths and Denial: What Church Communities Need to Know About Sexual Abusers," 1 April 2002, America, 8.
[21] Martin Teicher, "Scars That Won’t Heal: The Neurobiology of Child Abuse," Scientific American, March 2002, 286.
[22] Pegi Taylor, "Beyond Myths and Denial: What Church Communities Need to Know About Sexual Abusers," 1 April 2002, America, 8.
[23] Mary Cagney, "Sexual Abuse in Churches Not Limited to Clergy," Christianity Today, 6 October 1997, 90.
[24] "Aiding and Abetting Law & Legal Definition," U.S. Legal (2008), available from http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/aiding-and-abetting/; Internet; accessed 11 June 2009.
[25] Alex, Atlas, Darla, Lang, Anne, Cardwell, and Cary Tresniowski, Alex, "THIS IS HOME," People, 23 March 2009, 71.
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