This post is addressing those who feel compelled to try to minimize the sins of their scandalized idols, to compare abusers to truly repentant biblical examples, to silence those of us who call for reform. This post is not intended to squelch those who are calling for reform.

When I was a kid we had celebrity ministers too. I remember when Jimmy Swaggart’s ministry blew up. That’s the first scandal I remember hearing about. I knew a family who would watch Swaggart videos at birthday parties. Pin the tail on the donkey? No, let’s watch Swaggart. True story. And we we didn’t want to believe it when the scandal hit the news. Surely it was just the liberal media out to destroy a man of God.

Except it wasn’t.

Since we didn’t have social media back then we didn’t get 20 comments deep into Swaggart discussions like people do nowadays when their pet celebrity, ministry, cause, Christian, politician, athlete, etc gets caught in a scandal. As I’ve watched the latest scandals unfold I’ve watched my social media feed fill with discussions of them. And I’ve longed for the good ol’ days when we all argued about vaccines. I have noticed that some seem compelled to defend the scandalized as if they are defending their own faith.

So I’d like to offer this little primer on how to respond when your pet celebrity, ministry, cause, Christian, politician, athlete, etc gets caught in a scandal:

You say, “That sounds awful. I hope and pray they make it right.” And you move on.*

You don’t leave 13 comments about how everyone is a sinner and you don’t want to judge, or there are 2 sides to every story, and then claim you don’t want to debate, argue, or be in strife when you realize your position is indefensible. You don’t minimize the sin or the victims’ pain. You don’t drag King David into it.

You don’t accuse people calling for repentance of throwing stones.

You don’t claim it’s a liberal plot to destroy family values. You affirm that the situation is awful and you are praying that they make it right. This shows empathy for the people involved. It shows that you hope for redemption. And it frees up your calendar so you can research your side of the vaccine debate and win the Internet the next time the topic comes up.

* This post is addressing those who feel compelled to try to minimize the sins of their scandalized idols, to compare abusers to truly repentant biblical examples, to silence those of us who call for reform. This post is not intended to squelch those who are calling for reform.

This article first appeared on Translations by Ellie and is used with permission.