We’re back! After a brief hiatus due to someone forgetting to turn on the microphone technical difficulties during our last shoot, Elizabeth and I are once again sitting down to recap the hot topics from the religious blogosphere. Last week, a number of faith bloggers had a conversation about overcoming spiritual abuse in the church. Much of the dialogue focused on sexual abuse. It’s a timely topic, as a high-profile church network was recently sued for allegedly covering up abuse within the church. It’s also a personal topic for both of us . . . Elizabeth is Catholics and her church has had it’s fair share of scandal in relation to sexual abuse, and my own church unfortunately had a recent incident where a sunday school teacher was discovered to be a child molester. Here are some of the links that inspired this week’s conversation: The Scar of Sexual Abuse by Mary DeMuth Proper Treatment for Sexual Abuse: 7 Questions to Consider When we criticize the church by Micah Murray Your journey and consequences of spiritual abuse by Joy Bennett
“The next time someone tells you that reporting suspected abuse within the Christian community will “hurt the cause of Christ”, tell them that we are attempting to rob God of worship when we leave criminal behavior to fester and grow in the darkness of silence. “
“Don’t Talk About It”: Reflections on Spiritual Abuse by Kristen Rosser When saying no doesn’t help a guest post for Elora Nicole No More Silence: An interview with Boz Tchividjian Rachel Held Evans did a comprehensive link-up of related posts and resources here. What are your thoughts on sexual abuse in the church? How can churches better prevent sexual abuse, and what do you think is best practice when the issue is discovered?
