If there is such a strong commitment to fight for the personhood of the unborn, why are there “crickets” when it comes to defending abuse victims? Abuse at its most basic level is an attempt to rob the personhood of the target by the abuser. Thus the silence seems like a glaring inconsistency, at best, and hypocrisy, at worst. Every time another instance of abuse within Christendom hits the headlines, I rack my brain trying to understand why this is so.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27
Since all human beings are made in the image of God, all human beings should receive dignity, respect, and the right to life. This applies to the born and unborn. This applies to male and female. This applies to all people regardless of their race or ethnicity. The sanctity of life is not based on the ability to function independently or even the value with which a person contributes to society at large. The sanctity of life is an issue of personhood because identity is individual and never subsumed by another person regardless of the relationship.
- Are our definitions of domestic and child abuse accurate? Are we willing to learn from even secular experts in the field?
- In the case of abortion, the “culprits” are safely outside church walls. In the case of abuse, they may be sitting in the pews or speaking from the pulpit. Are we gullible and easily deceived or arrogant about our ability to discern wolves in sheep’s clothing?
- Do teachings regarding marriage, family, and gender provide cover for abuse because the personhood of women and children is denied even by implication? How many loopholes are there for the abuser?
- Whose needs take priority? The victim, the perpetrator, or the organization where the abuse took place?
- Is our naive desire for a “happy ending” so great that we gloss over the heinous and criminal nature of abuse? God is able to grant repentance, but that does not necessarily remove the consequences and the need for safeguards to prevent it from happening again.
- Why is it so hard to say, “We were wrong. Please forgive us for failing you. We want to learn and do all we can to make sure this never happens again.”?
- Or are we unable to even consider the possibility that we could be wrong?
My heart was very heavy when I typed out these questions because it breaks for the victims. I humbly submit these questions and pray the church-at-large considers them, if at all possible, before tragedy strikes. May we put our money where our mouth is when it comes to the sanctity of life for all people.