VICTIMHOOD AND VIRTUE SIGNALING
A growing number of individuals and groups, ostensibly the victims of abuse by churches and pastors, can be found on social media commiserating with one another and offering counsel and warnings to others. Some of these cases, inarguably and regrettably are based on fact. Others are the product of the imaginations of immature and perpetual whiners and scandal mongers who relish the opportunity to get attention on the world wide web.
People have definitely been, and are being, abused in toxic churches and by toxic preachers. There have always been rogues, scoundrels, and charlatans, predators posing as pastors, who have “crept in unawares” to “make merchandise” of people, in one way or another, under the “cloak” of religion (Jude 1:4; 2 Pet. 2:3; 1 Pet. 22:16). Predatory people have preyed on other people within the context of politics, religion, the workplace, etc., throughout history and will continue to do so till Jesus comes and brings them to Judgment.
Church/pastor abuse of people happens when and where the Scripture is not the sole criteria for faith and practice. It happens when and where people lack discernment and fail to exercise personal responsibility and spiritual judgment (Prov. 18:15; 1 Cor. 2:15). Emotional, spiritual and even physical abuse sometimes happens in churches, and under the “ministries” of creeps, posing as preachers who have crept unawares into pastoral positions. Genuine victims in such cases deserve sympathy and help.
But, let’s be very clear about two things. First, instances of real victimization in churches and under pastors are the exception and not the rule. Secondly there are many people whose nature is to be easily offended; people looking for a fight, who are consummate “victims;” people looking for a way to claim victimhood wherever they can — in their families, at work, in school or in churches. These are disingenuous, fundamentally disturbed people, who should be pitied and prayed for, but not taken seriously—people to be ignored as much as possible and avoided, in person and on their social media platforms.
Pseudo-victims relish the opportunity to “share” accounts of personal church and/or pastor abuse, to counsel and warn and gaslight and project on social media—mud slingers who do what they do with little or no regard for truth or prudence. They are either foolish cravers of attention and/or hateful people with a self-perceived bone to pick. Most of these “everybody hates me, nobody loves me,” nasty-spirited types would like to be perceived as being supra-spiritual. But they aren’t. They are serial “victims” and virtue signalers, pointing their fingers and looking for someone on whom they can pin the blame for who they are and what they do.
Genuine victims of church/pastor, etc. abuse are reluctant to “share” their experiences on the worldwide web, to be welcomed by the devil and used to bring reproach upon the Church of God and the cause of Christ in the eyes of multiplied millions of lost souls. Spiritually minded people think long and hard before doing this. They find any help and outlet they need in more appropriate places and people. Most importantly, they have found God to be their "refuge and strength. A very. present help in. time of trouble" (Ps. 46:1).
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