Forgiveness-Part Five, Cancel Culture

Introduction

In this podcast I address a trend that is especially taking place within megachurches and large ministries but can even occur within a small local church. It is very dysfunctional, harmful, and misuses the concept of forgiveness. It ultimately makes victims of abuse, victims in even a greater way. It is the use of Cancel Culture methods to silence clergy abuse victims. In this podcast I am specifically talking about individuals that clearly are victims of abuse.

Clergy Abuse

When speaking of clergy abuse, I am specifically talking about when there has been verbal, emotional, physical, sexual, or spiritual abuse by those who are Christian leaders within churches or in faith-based organizations.

Cancel Culture-Definition

When I am talking about Cancel Culture regarding victims of clergy abuse this is the definition I am using. A cultural phenomenon in which people criticize an individual thought to have acted or spoken in an unacceptable manner, and call (typically over social media) for the target to be ostracized, boycotted, shunned, or fired. This shunning may extend to social or professional circles—whether on social media or in person.

Clergy Abuse and Cancel Culture

Most commonly the clergy abuse is sexual and the abuser has been a key leader of the Christian organization, and normally, it is more than a one-time action. The Cancel Culture behavior by the key leader and/or organization normally takes place after the sinful actions have been exposed publicly. The main purpose is to silence the victim or at least attempt to discredit the victim.

Even though Cancel Culture actions may take place after public exposure, the abuser always does all they can to make the victim believe that somehow it is their fault for being a victim.

Tactics of Cancel Culture

As mentioned earlier the main goal of the perpetrator and their ministry is to discredit the victim, so they use whatever means possible to cancel the victim. The process normally is they will do everything they can to claim the accusation of abuse is not true, the victim is lying. If that does not work because the facts prove otherwise, they will distort the facts. When that does not work they will say the victim is exaggerating what took place, or confused by what took place. If that does not work they will insinuate the perpetrator was somehow set up or that the victim was knowingly cooperative with the abuse/inappropriate behavior. So, the Christian organization is willing to do all they can to cancel out the victim. Thus, abusing the victim all over again.

If none of the above tactics works, the guilt of the perpetrator has to be acknowledged, the ministry will then say ‘it happened so long ago’, and say the victim is holding unto grudges, is seeking revenge, wants to destroy the ministry. The motives of the victim are put into question, not the behavior of the perpetrator. Many times there is the statement “We are not to touch God’s anointed.” That is nothing but blatant Cancel Culture tactics.

Cancel Culture-Using Forgiveness Myths

Myth One-Forgive and Forget
This myth, this lie, is that if you truly forgive someone you will forgive and forget.

Ministries that apply Cancel Culture tactics to silence clergy abuse victims will, when nothing else works, resort to saying the victim needs to just forgive and forget. (This is after they tried to make it that the abuse never took place and the victim was lying.) We all fall short, we all sin, the leader sinned (it takes much to happen before they will ever acknowledge the sin of the perpetrator), has repented (99% of the time there is no true repentance) and the victim should just forgive, after all it happened so long ago, and just forget the incident and move on.

Myth Two-Forgive and Not Hold Accountable, Reconcile
This myth says if you really have forgiven you will seek reconciliation, not hold the guilty party accountable.

Ministries that apply Cancel Culture tactics to silence clergy abuse victims will, when all else fails, resort to saying it is clear that the victim is holding unto grudges, not forgiving, and not following the biblical principle of reconciling. Let that sink in. What they are saying, after they have denied the abuse ever took place, after the perpetrator never truly repented, after they accuse the victim of lying or exaggerating, is that the victim should not only forgive but be reconciled to the abuser who has not repented.

Cancel Culture-Victimizing the Victim Again

All of the Cancel Culture tactics ultimately are another level of abuse of the victim. The victim is abused by the perpetrator, they are then abused by the ministry organization. But it does not stop there. Because the organization has used every means possible, especially social media, to make the victim into an evil person. So what happens on social media is there are individuals who believe the lies of the ministry and they ‘come after’ the victim with vicious attacks about their motives, their heart. So now the abuse of the victim now comes from the public arena.

Cancel Culture of Victims of Clergy Abuse is Pure Evil

All of what we have describes is nothing but pure evil from the pit of hell. Sadly, there are Christians who have so worshipped the Celebrity Ministries, they have become blinded by the evil of the ministry leaders, not just the perpetrator of evil but the evil of the leaders, and defend the evil ones and attack the victim. Satan, the accuser of the brethren wins in the end. BUT only for a season, because the Righteous Judge will always defend the defenseless and there is the Bema Judgement (the judgment of Christians) in the future. Also, there are those Jesus will say “I never knew you”. They will face eternal punishment.

Forgiveness and Justice

As we have said over and over again in this series on Forgiveness, forgiveness is not optional for a Christ Follower. We are to forgive ALL because we have been forgiven. But we do not have to be reconciled to all. We do not have to issue free passes to abusers, especially clergy abusers. Instead, we are to expose them, and seek righteous justice. Even if the abuser truly repents, does not mean there must be reconciliation. Especially if Cancel Culture tactics are used and ultimately the abuser repents. Almost for sure it is not true repentance, even if they there was true repentance they do not show they are person to be trusted.

Clergy Abuse Victims of Cancel Culture

If you are a victim of clergy abuse, a victim of Cancel Culture regarding your abuse, be assured there are those who understand the nature of what you have experienced. They are for you, not against you. They cannot fix what you have experienced, but they can, like we are doing, expose the evil. Be assured there are advocates for victims like you. Yes, it may seem like it is too late, it is too late, but they are those joining with you to stand for victims in the future. Our hope as there is more and more exposure of clergy abuse and cancel culture that instead of Cover Up Culture there will be a call for True Repentance, and more importantly that there will be policies put into place to help prevent clergy abuse and when it does take place it will be exposed, the victims are not abused all over again, and the guilty parties are held accountable instead of protected.

#forgiveness #cancelculture #thereishope #thereishoperadio #PreacherRichD

Forgiveness-Part Five-Cancel Culture Podcast

Forgiveness Podcast Series
Forgiveness-Introduction
Forgiveness-Part One, Bible Verses
Forgiveness-Part Two, Freedom and Peace
Forgiveness-Part Three, Testimonies
Forgiveness-Part Four, What is True Forgiveness?
Forgiveness-Part Five, Cancel Culture
Forgiveness-Part Six, Application
Forgiveness-Part Seven, Prayer

Moving Beyond the Past Series-Forgiveness Videos
Moving Beyond the Past-Lesson 6, Forgiveness: Part One
Moving Beyond the Past-Lesson 6, Forgiveness: Part Two
Moving Beyond the Past-Lesson 6, Forgiveness: Part Three
Moving Beyond the Past-Lesson 6, Forgiveness: Part Four
Moving Beyond the Past-Lesson 6, Forgiveness: Part Five