While the civil law as enforced by the state may not be as comprehensive as God’s moral law, do not assume that just because the “culture” or the “secular world” seems so sexually permissive that the society’s laws are not strict.  They are.  And they bear witness to the larger moral reality that God built into His creation and the human heart (Rom 2:15).  Recall to that God uses the civil authorities to carry out His wrath on evildoers (Rom 13:4).

In light of the Baptist sex abuse scandal, as well as the Catholic sex abuse scandal, and the realization that these transgressions can likely be found in other church bodies, it occurs to me that many church people are ignorant or naive about the civil laws regarding sexual crimes.

Churches also have problems with sexual morality–adultery, fornication–but the state has no interest in those sins.  Churches need to address those too.  God’s moral law goes beyond that of the state.  Not just actions but thoughts (Matt 5:28) and words (Eph 5:4) are subject to God’s judgment.  Churches must find ways to uphold Biblical sexual morality among clergy and all their members.  That is a different topic.

The scandals in the news have to do with crimes.  Things that you can go to jail for.  Or be put on a sex offender registry for the rest of your life.

While the civil law as enforced by the state may not be as comprehensive as God’s moral law, do not assume that just because the “culture” or the “secular world” seems so sexually permissive that the society’s laws are not strict.  They are.  And they bear witness to the larger moral reality that God built into His creation and the human heart (Rom 2:15).  Recall to that God uses the civil authorities to carry out His wrath on evildoers (Rom 13:4).

So here are aspects of the civil law that churches need to be aware of as they work to prevent these crimes from happening and reporting them and dealing with them if they do.

Sexual Assault

Most of the sexual abuse crimes coming to light have to do with sexual assault.  Like manslaughter, this offense occurs in different degrees, ranging from groping to rape.  Here is a definition from the National Center for Victims of Crime:

Sexual assault takes many forms including attacks such as rape or attempted rape, as well as any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Usually a sexual assault occurs when someone touches any part of another person’s body in a sexual way, even through clothes, without that person’s consent.

Yes, inappropriate touching is a form of sexual assault.  It constitutes a crime.

Specific classifications vary from state to state.  Here is a site that gives the laws regarding sexual assault from every state.

Minors Can Not Give Consent

If a person is under 18 years of age, she or he is not legally able to consent to sexual activity.  That means that any time an adult has sex with someone under 18, that constitutes rape.

“But she wanted to do it!” a youth worker involved with a 16-year-old might say. “She seduced me!”  “We are in love!” “It was consensual!”  No it wasn’t.  By law, a 16-year-old cannot consent.  The adult who had sex with her committed statutory rape.

Similarly, any time an adult sexually touches a child, including a teenager under 18, that constitutes sexual assault.

Children may not be used sexually in any way.  Doing so is a heinous crime–usually a special category of sexual assault–and is harshly punished.  And rightly so.

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