Comments on: 20! Think about 20! Don’t think about 17! https://sorrywatch.com/20-think-about-20-dont-think-about-17/ Analyzing apologies in the news, media, history and literature. We condemn the bad and exalt the good. Wed, 12 Aug 2020 17:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 By: sumac https://sorrywatch.com/20-think-about-20-dont-think-about-17/#comment-213996 Sat, 20 Jan 2018 03:44:16 +0000 https://sorrywatch.com/?p=5554#comment-213996 In reply to Justice.

Yes — and Highpoint Church has other nasty history with other church leaders with known predatory history.

]]> By: Justice https://sorrywatch.com/20-think-about-20-dont-think-about-17/#comment-213995 Sat, 20 Jan 2018 03:25:59 +0000 https://sorrywatch.com/?p=5554#comment-213995 This mess is an epidemic in the Bible belt. I wish I hadn’t witnessed first hand the cripplingly male-dominated laity and the overwhelmingly patriarchal stance of Christianity. I also wish I knew more people like Tanita. Here are two more examples of events where Memphis area pastors, and friends of Chris and Andy, worked to gaslight victims and protect perpetrators.
https://medium.com/@JB.Martinez/is-covering-up-abuse-authentic-manhood-fed9593b2af3

https://medium.com/@michael_hansen/how-the-church-conspired-to-cover-up-my-sexual-abuse-f748638e5c56

]]> By: tanita https://sorrywatch.com/20-think-about-20-dont-think-about-17/#comment-213991 Sat, 20 Jan 2018 00:50:08 +0000 https://sorrywatch.com/?p=5554#comment-213991 Wow, I go to church, and I wouldn’t have waded through that, so thank you for taking one for a team you’re not even signed with, Sumac.

I am grateful that I haven’t (YET, which means “you’re eligible to,” right?) lived through anything like this in a church setting, but the overwhelmingly patriarchal stance of Christianity as a school of thought makes it difficult to imagine that at some point I will not… The cripplingly male-dominated laity will, in many denominations, weigh in on the side of the “King David was a man after God’s own heart” argument, forgetting that there were some pretty devastating cause-and-effect actions for what HE did. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that the laws of physics don’t still apply to an arrow once loosed from a bow. It is still going to fly… and fall, and it may yet cause bloodshed along the way. Stuff happens, as it were.

People’s biggest argument surrounding situations like this is that there should be a statute of limitations on behavior, but their wailing, When, oh, WHEN can he come back? is conveniently forgetting that one of the more firmly worded verses in the New Testament states that it is better to hang a millstone around the neck and throw into the sea those who are willing to cause hurt to children. We seem to mainly embrace cis-men in the Christian church.

To be clear: This doesn’t mean that good people still can’t love him and hang with this guy – Sarah Silverman’s discussion of Louis CK was so perfect an explanation – we can, and do love some pretty flawed people – but that doesn’t mean that the community they hurt should have to put up with them. When can he come back? How about never? No more pastoring for this guy. No working with women, children, or teens. He can still attend church, in another city, and just spend the rest of his time atoning in other ways. That doesn’t mean that God doesn’t forgive him. It just means that I doubt the sincerity of his apology, and Woodson shouldn’t be forced to even look at him, ever again.

Ugh. *runs to shower*

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