Recently again in multiple places sexual assault allegations are featuring, including Cuomo in America and Porter in Australia. Since before Bill Clinton and #metoo accusations of sexual misconduct have been a political tool, but let us rethink the matter as true Christians. Let us re-consider. Because 'I Accuse' is not proof of anything.
Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times. (Psalm 106:3)
I accuse all those who report accusations and condemn leaders for sexual assault (often without evidence) of hypocrisy! If all media has images celebrating and featuring all forms of sexual promiscuity, if unwed teen pregnancy is celebrated as the right of abortion and if kids are encouraged by marketing and music videos to be sexually aware, why can anything better be expected of politicians and leaders?
Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? (James 2:4)
If we do not apply the standard to all the locals in the neighbourhood, and to our city, we can't apply it to the leaders! Leaders are of the people and out of the people. If the foundation of society is rotten the whole structure is rotten.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)
They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. (Psalm 82:5)
I accuse all those making assault allegations that are timely politically, but not of the time of the alleged assault of malice. As a Christian we must also condemn that malice.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesian 4:31-32)
Those who forgive will never be malicious or bitter. If it was a matter of tragic consequences and harm at the time and worthy of reporting, what prevented it being reported at the time? Shame? Why shame if there is not some awareness of ones own sin or foolishness? If pressure is there to not report it, why is that pressure there? Why is it later not a pressure? Because that person is no longer highly regarded or is to be hated now to be removed from power? That is partiality and respect of persons.
Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: (Exodus 23:1-2)
I accuse all those repeating allegations of failing the first test of good judgement, that of the matter of witness. The claim of 'believe all women' fell in the courts of partisanship. After years there is likely no witness of DNA, which there may have been at the time. Unless it was a matter where others are present and are witness – it is one person's word against another. It may well be true, but it may be impossible to establish.
One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. (Deuteronomy 19:15)
In the matter of witnesses, motives and blame, it becomes complicated. How many females may be without multiple partners and mis-adventure in a promiscuous age, where the temptation is to ladder climb to influence in any way possible, and in an environment where the expectation of promiscuity is that any may seek in such way to gain access to power?
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. (Proverbs 30:18-20)
In an age of abortion and contraceptives there may be no visible consequences, so we cannot see sexual misconduct. It isn't often public. It isn't anymore the subject of public policy. People are not stood in the Church corner for all unwed relations, and no law punishes it. Where then, in a workplace or social group is the line from casual relationships to rape which is a matter of law, and from desired compliment to harassment? Might it be the turn of a feeling of one party from one day to the next? Might a change in feeling lead to bitterness? Where is the direction finding when the moral compass is thrown away? Here is the strong moral compass for uncharted unseen private regions of life!
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sins against his own body. (1 Cor. 6:18)
Paul very well knew there may be no witnesses. The Law of Moses allowed for the test of Jealousy, for the very reason there may be no witnesses, so Paul makes a powerful point that fornication is personal as it may well be hidden from all but God!
So next time we hear of a historic sexual assault allegation against a public figure, perhaps we may think and make a right judgement. We aren't witnesses. We are ourselves not without sin in other matters (John 8:7)
I accuse such society that generates assault complaints against leaders as bricks falling from a decaying building of being without mercy, implacable and more willing to tear down and destroy than to build up. Words can be powerful tools, of destruction.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. (Proverbs 30:12-14)
I accuse the reporters of the Western world of biased hypocrisy for not uncovering child abuse in Hollywood, among the elites and by such figures as Hunter Biden when it is known. Hunter Biden's laptop is supressed and one of Hollywood's own has spoken out and he is cancelled rather than the matter investigated! We cover sins once they are departed from and repented of, not the so the culturally and politically powerful can keep sinning against even children!
Of what value is a society's judgement when it has thrown out the only authoritative rule book? A generation ago the majority people went to Church and agreed that the rule book of the Bible was of value. Then many, who very well knew God's value system, decided that they wished to obliterate God from their minds.
Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans 1:28-32)
If the foundation rule book of life is thrown out, for humanistic standards of 'pleasure or harm', who decides what is acceptable? What did Paul say would happen when God's foundation values are removed? People would become proud, wicked, malicious accusers, without mercy. Have we seen this?
It is the mob of Sodom!
Sodom, famous for its sexual sin, was close to Jerusalem the centre of the worship of the living God, and was saved by God from destruction in war. On the eve of God's destruction of Sodom, Lot gave in on the matter of the mob's sexual sin and humoured the idle crowd out for some fun in the evening, offering his daughters for abuse. But the crowd would not have that. They were implacable and stubborn, they wanted the strangers the male angels and they became so angry at Lot for denying them their pleasure and then they became violent. They rejected sound judgement and accused Lot of being a judge – of judging their behaviour, by refusing them their specific pleasure!
And they (the crowd leaders) said, “Stand back.”
And they said again, “This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them.” And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. (Gen 19:9)
Sodom was therefore destroyed for its violence, which came from pride- likely from its prosperity.
Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)
The recent deluge of sexual assault claims themselves accuse this 'western' society of recreating the days of Noah and Lot, where trust was betrayed and self willed violence and sexual misconduct prevailed everywhere, from the bottom to the top, from the common pubic house to the leaders.
When our Lord speaks of this time at the end of the age before his return, he says people would be doing many things which sound quite innocuous. The sexual misconduct was and is not seen, the betrayals and violence were and are part of the built fabric of life. It is not the allegations regarding the leaders' behaviour that we should note now, as we might rather consider that the very foundation of society is so out of course that it allows crowds to mass to form instant judgement so that they not be morally judged and it allows accusations without proof to be used to tear down from power any of the social leaders of the crowd they chose!
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke 17:26-30)
