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Like many women, the days following aftermath of the tape revealing Donald Trump bragging about sexual assault—and the numerous women who have reported him behaving in just that manner—have felt painful, heavy, charged for me. Like Michelle Obama put it in her powerful response, “It hurts.” It’s personal. For many women, it triggers memories of the most painful experiences in our lives or other women we love. I’ve talked to several friends who, like me, have chosen to avoid Facebook and conversations, even with some we’re close to—not because we don’t want to talk about what happened, about the insanity of a person of his character having support for the White House, but because we cannot handle one more person downplaying the gravity of those words. Each time this happens from someone we thought would get it, it hurts. It feels like a betrayal.

But it’s not just those words and those who dismiss them as “locker room talk” that hurts. (The “locker room talk” excuse may be the ugliest excuse possible. If it was true that some men regularly brag about sexually assaulting women in locker rooms—which many athletes flatly deny—that would be an additional outrage, not an excuse.) There were allegations of assault and harassment against him before this happened. His words in the past have not shown respect for women. It was almost surprising to me that there was as much backlash from previous supporters at the tape’s revelation as there was. Didn’t his supporters already know this about him?

For many Christian women, the source of hurt, of betrayal, comes especially from men, evangelical Christian leaders in our lives and in the public eye who continue to downplay Trump’s character. He still holds a majority of evangelical support. Many evangelicals, especially white evangelicals, tend to not vote Democratic, have many concerns about Hillary Clinton, and want Republicans in seats of power, so this election is a difficult one. Acknowledging these concerns about the Republican candidate comes at the very real likelihood of loss of political power.

But, “what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Women are waiting to hear the men in their lives, in their churches, say that this matters, that they matter.

And many women are not waiting at all. They are sick of waiting for men in the church to fight for women. Many female Christian leaders are confidently speaking their truth despite the high percentages of evangelical support for Trump. Consider this: many news outlets have covered prominent leaders like Jerry Falwell Jr. and James Dobson’s continued support for Trump. But Beth Moore and Jen Hatmaker, two of many female Christian leaders to publicly speak against Trump, have significantly more of a following than either Falwell or Dobson.

And some, although far from the majority, of evangelical male leaders are standing with them. Wayne Grudem has withdrawn his endorsement. Russell Moore, who has opposed Trump from the beginning, says because of his public opposition to Trump he regularly hears privately from women who long for their brothers in Christ to stand with them. Closer to home, within the CRC, many leaders have publicly spoken against Trump, including Calvin seminary prof and ethicist Matthew Tuininga, who has written a powerful piece, “Donald Trump and Sexual Assault: What Else are Evangelical Voters Willing to Accept?” in response.  

This is a painful election that is in many ways dividing this country and the church. But please, when it comes to assault against women, let’s not be divided. Let’s openly and boldly stand together and say that this is a big deal, that this unacceptable. As Tuininga put it, “If evangelicals publicly support Donald Trump, the chief result will not be the advance of the sanctity of life or of religious liberty, let alone of family values. The result will be the collapse of any evangelical credibility on moral issues whatsoever.”

Comments

Great and timely article that is not about politics or the presidential election but about human dignity. Trump is simply the latest high-profile public figure that has been exposed as an abuser of the basic human right to dignity and the maintenance of proper sexual boundaries.

No women or man for that matter can, under Christ's Lordship be sexually trespassed against in word or deed. I have been involved in many cases as a victims advocate for the sexually abused by those who suffer at the short end of a power differential. Victims of clergy and church officer sexual abuse sit in our CRC pews by the hundreds in silence due to the power structure of the white male ecclesiastical oligarchy. Research statistic by Baylor University reveal that 1.5/100 members of the clergy (This goes across all denominations) sexually abuse women that are under their power as parishioners. This is a horrifying statistic that leaves so many abused women in our CRC pews without a voice to express their pain, receive proper treatment or find safety. As Michelle Obama so eloquently stated, "It hurts". These women and men, weakened and marginalized through church officer sexual abuse must stand up to the ecclesiastical straight-jacket that has been placed upon them, however they are afraid to do so because its not safe to do so. They will be shunned, ostracized and removed from their communities as temptresses, or loose. The voices of the 11 women who came forward accusing Donald Trump have been pretty much silenced, no charges brought, seen as slutty or even unworthy of Trump's advances. How shameful and despicable can a predator be?

The damage done to the psyche and spirit of the spiritually and emotionally abused is acute, tragic and often permanently disabling. Safe Church needs more teeth in the CRC, so that the real fear of God can be put into church officer's hearts if they contemplate crossing clearly defined sexual boundaries that must be respected by the people of God.

peace,

 

Kelly

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