Former Olympic gymnast Rachael Denhollander (molested by Larry Nassar) says the church is one of the worst places to go for help ( pizzagate )

submitted by pimpinainteasy

From an interview with Christianity Today:

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2018/january-web-only/rachael-denhollander-larry-nassar-forgiveness-gospel.html

"Yes. Church is one of the least safe places to acknowledge abuse because the way it is counseled is, more often than not, damaging to the victim. There is an abhorrent lack of knowledge for the damage and devastation that sexual assault brings. It is with deep regret that I say the church is one of the worst places to go for help. That’s a hard thing to say, because I am a very conservative evangelical , but that is the truth. There are very, very few who have ever found true help in the church."

She then goes on to explain how her own advocacy on behalf of abuse victims made her into a pariah within her own church.

“The reason I lost my church was not specifically because I spoke up,” she says. “It was because we were advocating for other victims of sexual assault within the evangelical community, crimes which had been perpetrated by people in the church and whose abuse had been enabled, very clearly, by prominent leaders in the evangelical community.”

Denhollander also says that the situation she was dealing with in the [Evangelical] church was “one of the worst, if not the worst, instances of evangelical cover-up of sexual abuse.”

Sackajahweeda

I imagine you could easily be targeted by doing so...Is anything sacred anymore?!

Narcissism

Best to stay away from Narcissists and their profession - that includes the church.

septimasexta

Please take the time to read the full article, especially if you are a Christian. This young woman is brave and wise beyond her years. She has a message, and a warning, that the church needs to hear. I was personally divinely rescued from attempted kidnapping by a pedophile. It terrified me for years, AND I WAS RESCUED! I have never understood the callous disregard for victims of such demonic horror. If Christians follow God's word, no child would ever be left in that vulnerable position in a church setting. I have been part of a church that implements such practices, so I know it is possible. Parents must be diligent to PROTECT their children. Train them to be aware of "stranger danger" at a young age. PROTECT THEIR INNOCENCE. Pay attention to how they dress, and tell them to keep their "privates" private. Maintain a good daily relationship with your child, so they will feel comfortable communicating with the parent if anyone is doing "strange" things to them. Never just turn your kids over to a "youth group" leader, and be involved with the activities. NEVER BE AFRAID TO CONFRONT EVIL.

3141592653

Im so glad you were rescued

septimasexta

Thank you for your kind words. As an adult researching and exposing Pizzagate, I am reminded of what a horrible end I was saved from!

Here is my story:

As a very INNOCENT 3rd grader, I was walking down my safe middle class street on my way to meet my nearby friend for a play date. It was early afternoon, and I was glad to be out of school for the day. My good natured dog accompanied me. As I was almost to the end of our street, a strange car turned in, slowed down and pulled over ahead of me. A man rolled down the window and asked if I could help him with directions. I had been well schooled in being respectful to adults, so I went near the car to try to help him. Of course, I didn't have the map knowledge to help, and he casually asked where I was going. He also asked if my dog was friendly, to which I naively answered, "yes".

He then suggested that he give me a ride to my friends house and I could visually point out the directions he needed. As he did so, he slightly opened the car door, which I thought was odd, but I was not alarmed. Up until I was attacked, I HAD NO FEAR OF THIS MAN. I just wanted to help him with directions. Divinely, I believe, the previous week our school had shown a film on "stranger danger". It emphasized saying, "I'm not allowed to ride with strangers." The film had caught my attention, as my parents had never taught me this. When the stranger pressed me to get in the car, I WAS STILL NOT ALARMED, but out of my mouth came the words, "I'm not allowed to ride with strangers." I repeatedly refused to get in the car. With the car door already ajar, the pedophile (he exposed his "privates") easily jumped out and grabbed me. NOW I was TERRIFIED. I screamed and resisted such that I was lying on the street, kicking, while he attempted to get me in the car. My USELESS dog got excited and thought we were playing. I still remember the total fear I experienced when I knew the CREEP had me overpowered.

Enter the second divine intervention: First, a backstory. One of our neighbors, who lived at the end of the street, was an older childless couple. They were nice, but the wife was a bit eccentric. "Cherry" was a fanatic about keeping up the front lawn. However, she would only cut it with a manual push mower, (no gasoline lawnmowers allowed) and she wore a hat with an umbrella on top, to protect her from the sun. She was quite a sight, we kids thought. The day of my attempted kidnapping, however, even her push mower was not working. Not to be deterred, and unknown to me, Cherry got out the HEDGE CLIPPERS and was on her knees CUTTING THE NOT SO SMALL FRONT YARD!

Back to my story: At the moment I knew I was overpowered and lost hope of escaping, the pedophile suddenly dropped me like a hot potato and began running to his car. I looked up and saw Cherry running towards us, like a charging bull, with the pair of hedge clippers pointed at the escaping pervert. He managed to jump in his car and screeched off, heading far far away. I was RESCUED by a BRAVE woman. I will always be thankful for Cherry and her eccentric ways! Because hedge clippers are silent, the criminal never knew she was there, and she heard my screams and came running. A happy ending, indeed!

3141592653

Wow. What a story. Thank u much for sharing. Thank god for Cherry and that you were all right. Best to you

Vindicator

Amen

Mylifeforanorange

Very powerful, an important lesson to the church, of only they would listen. So many continue to turn a blind eye, afraid of the truth, not wanting to acknowledge it’s existance. God is just, however, even if people are not.

think-

Thank you for sharing this, OP.

It is sad that she couldn't find help.

varialus

It doesn't necessarily indicate that the Church has implemented institutional measures that resulted in the failure, but does at least suggest that the church hasn't institutionalized measures to prevent the failure. Another Evangelical leader may have done a much better job, if the failure isn't institutional, which I'm sot saying it isn't, just that individual reports of failings should be taken in measure, acknowledging that it conclusions should be tempered while viewed as isolated incidents.

But having said all that, looking at the bigger picture from my personal perspective it does seem like religious institutions often are ill equipped to help victims of sexual abuse. However, although they often do have that fault, certain churches also have a distinct strength of producing moral hardworking citizens who are faithful to their spouses and who raise many children to follow in their parents footsteps.

3141592653

The Catholic church, at least, has in fact implemented such institutional measures

varialus

Edit: This kinda goes off on a tangent toward something indirectly related that I've been thinking about lately.

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any ideal organizations or paths for people to follow. On the one hand you can give your family a comfortable, pleasant, and fun life, but it will likely lead to low birthrates which would in theory lead your descendants to be overrun by people of less pleasant religions. Or you can but strict, hardworking, and moral, but totally, totally boring and super strict, and have lots of descendants, but who wants to live a super boring and strict life? It might not be so bad if you never knew better, but it'd be hard to choose that if you didn't grow up with it. Theoretically a perfect medium might be possible, but it'd be like walking a tight rope where you don't know whether you made it across until six generations after you're dead.

3141592653

Very interesting

Vindicator

This cracked me up. The solution is the virtue of 'Magnanimity"...but it is a virtue and thus not natural. It's something we have to practice.

I think we'll be seeing a turn around soon. It's generally the cost of college education that makes parents pucker up when it comes to generously welcoming the gift of new life. College education is now largely worthless, and new alternatives are already arising. There is light at the end of the tunnel. :-)

Smartech

Why would you go to the church for help from illiterate imbeciles who only know the bible?

Kacey

Isn't it funny how people who would not tolerate any excuse for a pedophile, keep making up excuses for god and for the churches than don't protect kids.

GrimHagen18

If they actually knew and followed the Bible, they would be wise and not do the horrible things reported above.

Kacey

Yep they might only do horrible things like put their only son on an altar and prepare to him him on God's command. That God allowed Abraham to substitute a sheep doesn't change how poor Isaac felt. And what was all this stuff about sacrificing animals to God. I hope at least all the people in the animal rights movement are not followers of the Bible which before Jesus sanctioned killing animals, not for food, but to please a vengeful, jealous god ("Vengance is mine" he says, "I the lord your god am a jealous god" he says)

GrimHagen18

For you,

Psalm 2:1-5 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.