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anger, blogging, faith, insanitibytes, opinion, politics, rape culture, sexual abuse
“Vive la revolution,”I totally snagged that title from Wine and Cheese Doodles, words used to describe a post about, “the cascade of sexual assault allegations which are coming down as thick and fast as Niagara Falls”
Hat tip also to Tricia who wrote a post about how integrity matters, called, “Bill Clinton, Roy Moore and the Politics of Hypocrisy.”
I appreciated both of those posts for different reasons, but I think what came through so clearly was the integrity, the willingness to look beyond the superficial politics and address the heart of the matter. That was encouraging.
I am deeply disappointed with several people I was actually rather fond of who were enthusiastically talking out of one side of their neck when all these allegations were coming out about Hollywood, but suddenly flipped when Judge Moore and the church were mentioned. All of a sudden women always lie. I read their heated words, I saw their heart, and thought, so is that what you’ve secretly thought of me all along?
It was hurtful, but this too shall pass, and that’s nothing like the anger and frustration I feel towards some popular pastors who decided to weigh in politically, in ways I found to be very demoralizing and disrespectful towards women. There are 50 who signed a petition in favor of Moore and against his accusers.
Pastor Wilson is now at the top of my manure list after deciding to wax poetic about nubile young women and Potiphar’s wife. It was exceedingly tacky in light of the fact that he is also well-known for dropping the ball in a couple of sex abuse cases within his own church. His words weren’t just insensitive, they were perverse.
I was so upset by having gotten a peak into the ugly heart of political conservative Christianity and afraid I was going to say some things I might regret, that I took a few days off from blogging and seriously contemplated just throwing in the towel. Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t send me an email telling me to shut up, anyway. Then there are the never-ending porn links. People may not realize it, but sitting on this side of blogging allows me to see some things others do not, some things I’d really rather not see, like the truth about rape culture.
The Lord has a funny way of speaking to me sometimes, in the midst of my frustration with some men who really should know better, this guy suddenly decided to mansplain sexual harassment to me. It was comical because he was so heated I couldn’t get a word in edgewise, but I soon became enamoured by the truth of what he was actually saying. If we as a culture all know what a “casting couch” is, than we have no business accusing women of lying, ever. Our very acceptance of the notion of casting couches, as a way of life, speaks to the fact that we know perfectly well what sexual harassment is and we have not only accepted it, we have condoned it, created it, and established it.
If you know what a casting couch is you don’t get to fein shock when somebody discloses abuse and you certainly don’t get to accuse them of lying.
If our so-called moral leaders, some of our pastors, some of our churches, some, cannot stand up and simply say, it is wrong for 30-year-old men to prey on teen age girls, and wrong for the church to cover it up, we have not only accepted it, we have condoned it and enforced it.
Enforced it. Those who would speak of “nubile young girls” and “Potiphar’s wife” in the same breath are enforcing rape culture and silencing victims.
So, vive la revolution, indeed. Or as those of us on this side of the cesspool might say, drain the whole damn swamp.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
People send you porn? I’m so sorry. (And no, that’s not what I took from this thoughtful post, but it’s what had me hop up from my chair).
Vive la revolution, indeed.
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I agree. J.
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Ugh. Nice post, and thanks for talking about it. Now, it’s back to the bunker for me
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I wondered where you see.
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Thanks for your insightful article. I had been hoping you would weigh in on this and had been waiting to see what you would say. I had read, and agreed with Tricia.
It is disappointing to read some of what my conservative / Republican friends are saying. I choose not to believe this should be about politics. The stories from the women are compelling and absent proof otherwise, should be believed.
I am convinced Jesus would have sided with the women.
Be blessed. God is with you might woman of God.
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Pingback: Bill Clinton, Roy Moore and the Politics of Hypocrisy – Citizen Tom
Thanks for linking to my post IB. We obviously share similar views on this and what you write here is so compelling, especially calling out our “moral” leaders for not being able to speak out against older men preying on girls. It’s appalling all around.
Seriously, people email you porn? I don’t know how you deal with the kooks.I goes it’s a good thing I don’t get any fan mail at all.
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Swamp is far too polite a word. I say there is scum in every pond.
Bring out the drano and a high powered rototiller with a massive blade of wire like brushes. Truth be told though, most of these clowns (apologies to PT Barnum) are only sorry they got caught. They will reappear again and again. Unless…………..
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Again and again but forty years? That’s not my interpretation of again and again!
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I was reflecting today why the Inquisition was first instituted in the Middle Ages. You know, the one the anti-Christians like to declare was so “anti-humane” and the “atrocity of all atrocities!”.
It was specifically instituted by the Church in order to counter the ongoing practice of law at the time which let it up to the public–that is, lex talionis, or the “law of talons”–eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The public would essentially form these lynch mobs targeted specifically at the most well-known within their communities or the most hated within their communities. As soon as the general public decided the person targeted was “guilty”, they called for “justice” and lynched the guy.
The Inquisition was actually specifically built to counter this. It designed a legal institution in which the public could no longer be responsible for taking matters of “justice” into their own hands but only so that appointed, independent officials could carry out the force of the law. There is much argument that the Inquisition was actually, ironically, better than our laws today because even if a person was found guilty, the first punishment was generally to attend to the sacrament of penance.
Protestantism obviously took out the Inquisition and so we had the barbarism of Salem which occurred within the Puritan community in the 17th century.
In public opinion, I think people can legitimately jump to the conclusion that Harvey Weinstein is a rapist based on the recording that was released where the model seemed to be sexually harassed. However, the recording could have been doctored and ultimately, he would have to be convicted in the eyes of the law as well.
The problem that I see with these sexual allegations is not necessarily whether we take the women’s side or the man’s side but rather that we quit forming these collectivist groups where we end up like the Medieval villagers who decided they’d take the law into their own hands. Before you know it, we’ll end up like a Salem. When we turn from the Church, what naturally follows is a turn from the proper order of the law, and when we do this we become vigilante animals motivated by what we think is us but is actually a rather demonic force.
I remain consistent for the most part–I do not immediately jump to conclusions about the man or the woman without sufficient evidence or testimony from both sides of the issue. I’m not going to be screaming for Sen. Franken to resign because even though I see the picture, there is more than one way to interpret it and it is necessary for us to establish what is the correct way to interpret it. But if I come across a political horde, I will argue by subjecting myself to their own hypocrisy in the effort they may see themselves in the mirror.
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IB, I just have trouble with accusations being timed just right to sway elections. I’ve lived through an awfully lot of “October” surprises. Every woman who cries assault has not been assaulted; neither has every man who claims to be innocent, innocent. When either has not been heard or listened to, it is a miscarriage of justice.
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As a follow up to my previous comment, here is an article I just posted.
https://cultureopinions.wordpress.com/2017/11/20/be-careful-what-you-ask-for-you-just-might-get-it/
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