Who’s Abusing Who?

If you are a parent – or even if you aren’t – do you believe you and only you should determine how best to “train up your child?”

Or – would you prefer to turn your parenting duties over to some kind of mandated government oversight committee? And, by “committee,” I mean a kind of a Federal “Super Nanny” authorized to determine if you as a parent are an “abuser” and are incapable of dispensing pre-approved “time outs?”

Don’t laugh – the above scenario is quite possible –

Especially if those of us who love our freedom remain silent.

Let’s go back a bit…

Independent Fundamental Baptists have really no one to blame but themselves. For years conservative, independent Bible colleges and universities have sent forth pastors with little or no training in how to deal with the more unseemly problems out there in The Real World. Seminaries, such as Bob Jones University, concentrated on fundamentalist doctrine, but ignored the need for pastors to be trained in basic psychology and so-called “secular” counseling methods, opting instead to label psychology as “sinful” and to use the salvation found in Christ as a substitute for listening, learning and leading. As all of us reasonable people know, salvation is the panacea for the ultimate destiny of the soul – but – the mind (or “the flesh”) will still wrestle with actuality.

And, so, we end up with pastors such as the recent example of Dr. Chuck Phelps, who I’m sure knows fundamental Biblical doctrine inside and out, but when faced with a teenaged rape victim, Dr. Phelps tries to counsel her using the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy – and then fails again as a pastor and over-seer by not making sure the crime was reported, investigated and legally adjudicated.

Dr. Phelps is just one example – you also have the current Bob Jones University chancellor, Dr. Bob Jones III, endorsing and recommending a book written by a convicted child abuser. Does Dr. Bob III not realize this gives the appearance of condoning the convicted abuser’s actions? Apparently neither he, nor fellow endorser (and BJU grad), Dr. Ed Nelson, think there’s anything wrong with recommending a book written by a convicted and incarcerated child abuser.

And again with BJU – for years they stood behind pastors (many of them graduates) with questionable child disciplinary practices – Dr. Rand Hummel’s now infamous sermon, for example, advocates the spanking of a 17 year-old girl and that an abuse victim’s first duty is to forgive the abuser. BJU’s Greenville, South Carolina FM radio station, WMUU, once an integral part of the total BJU ministry, still‡ plays Lester Roloff and Hephzibah House – ministries with less than blameless reputations.

This summer many large Independent Fundamental Baptist organizations had the opportunity to express outrage over abuse within their ranks and adopt guidelines on how to prevent, counsel and report abuse – yet at every opportunity they failed to do so, concentrating rather on separating from heretical thinking instead of taking a stand against a growing problem within their ranks.

Why?

“Independent” – it’s the “I” in IFB – it’s what each of these autonomous entities value almost as much as the purity of the fundamental Biblical doctrines – freedom, in other words.

But, independence and freedom are what these churches, ministries and schools stand to lose if they don’t police themselves – if they don’t take firm and noticeable action against the minority in their ranks who blatantly and purposefully abuse those in their charge.

Recently, Jocelyn Zichterman, a woman who calls herself “an advocate for abuse victims from within the Independent Fundamental Baptist churches,” appeared on CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 (“Ungodly Discipline.”) On the program, it was mentioned that Zichterman has a website – Freedom from Abuse dot net (freedomfromabuse.net) – and it was on this site’s home page I discovered and read the “5 goals” that Ms. Zichterman & Co. hope to achieve:

“Since the IFB leaders will not change their philosophy or put proper structures in place to keep abusers accountable within their group, the only place to turn is the government.”

1. Mandated licensure of group homes in every state and more government over-site.

2. Mandated school counselors (unbiased and state licensed) for unaccredited Christian schools (a place where victims can turn if they need to).

 3. Longer statute of limitations for childhood physical abuse.

 4. Mandated accreditation (mandated regional accreditation if not a trade school) of all colleges/universities who want to make the claim that they are giving out professional degrees (in order to call the institution a “college” or “university”).

5. More over-site of homeschooling families.

Apparently, Ms. Zichterman has determined that if after two or three years you don’t get the changes you want, then “throw in the towel” – empower the Federal government and use the force or federal law – or, as she says, “mandates.”

It may be a reflection of her education – or lack of it – I don’t know – but it seems that Jocelyn Zichterman believes the role of government is to interfere with our private and religious lives. For example – “Goals” #2, #4 and especially #5. Goal #1 should be a state and local issue – not a federal one, and #3 could give rise to an increase in false accusations determined to ruin a person’s or a ministry’s reputation based on nothing more than hearsay and hatred.

It amazes me that, in order to corral and catch a very minute number of abusers in one small sect of Christianity, Zichterman is willing to give up an inordinate amount of personal and religious freedom – and seize that freedom from others who have not, and will never, commit any type of abuse.

But – lest you think there’s no answer to the question above, we turn again to the home page of Zichterman’s abuse website:

“I was interviewed two months ago by a man who worked at the Democratic National Committee who is currently working toward producing a documentary on the IFB…If you are a survivor and you have sermons, written materials, articles or just a story to tell please email me and I will get the information into the right hands.” ~ Jocelyn Zichterman, home page, freedomfromabuse.net, Sept. 06, 2011

Suddenly, the willingness to empower Big Government makes much more sense – as do the appearances on ABC and CNN…

The Democratic National Committee – these are the same people who have as their head Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D – FL) who recently (August 24, 2011) headlined a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Planned Parenthood of South Florida where Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards praised Wasserman Schultz as a “heroine” – why?

For standing against the abuse of children?

No.

Wasserman Shultz was praised “for her extensive abortion advocacy.”

“I was six years old when Roe v. Wade was handed down.” Wasserman Schultz posted after the rally. “And never in my life have I felt my constitutional rights as a woman were threatened like I do right now.”

Yearly, there are well over a million abortions performed (approx. 1.2) in the United States – all performed legally under Roe v. Wade – the cause célèbre of the Democratic National Committee’s feminist leader.

How can Jocelyn Zichterman, the self-proclaimed “advocate for abuse victims”, willingly cooperate with an organization that advocates the ultimate abuse of the helpless and the innocent? How can Zichterman crusade for tighter restrictions on predominately good and upright Christian families and Christian ministries while supporting the efforts of a DNC documentarian?

Like Jocelyn Zichterman, I absolutely hate the fact that there are so-called Christians out there that think it’s right, proper and acceptable to beat a child (or anyone else) into some kind of “submission.” But these are problems that we Christians (and their associated organizations) should be left free to handle and resolve on our own – without the “help” of Big Government or Federal Mandates – or The Democratic National Committee.

Unlike Zichterman, I am not willing to give up my freedom – my independence – or the independence of others that, perhaps, I don’t totally agree with.

We Christians must have equality in freedom – the freedom to fail as well as succeed.

Eliminating the “right to fail” leads to the abuse of us all.

————

‡After the broadcast of the CNN piece, this may no longer be true.  See blog comments.

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