“Recreational sex in the evening turns into accusations of ?rape? in the morning, even when it was entirely consensual,” Stephen Baskerville said.
“Child abuse” is “routine parental discipline, or homeschooling,” Baskerville said.
“The demanded right to engage in homosexual acts and public sexual displays translates almost automatically into the power to arrest or otherwise stop the mouths of preachers, ?bullies,? and anyone else who objects or ridicules or offends the ?feelings? or ?pride? of homosexuals,” Baskerville said.
“Stalking” is actually “forcibly divorced fathers trying to see their own children,” Baskerville said.
I understand that every ideology includes a continuum of views and that Stephen Baskerville does not signify the views of all Christians. Yet, having this gentleman speak in so prominent a forum does speak for the audience as a whole. As he espoused these views, ones that cast all stalkers as estranged fathers, all rape victims as complicit, all sexual harassment victims as deserving of their harassment, he was speaking to an audience that listened quietly. Obviously, no one stood up and challenged him. By their silent acceptance of his statements, they permitted them to stand as acceptable discourse.
Another view might see the increase in harassment, child abuse, rape and stalking as unfortunate side effects of a more connected world where greater communication has its dark and light sides. Instead of understanding how the context of our modern world makes these problems–rape, child abuse, harassment, stalking, etc–worthy of our attention–Mr. Baskerville chooses to uniformly blame the victim.
I doubt that every Christian shares his views. Yet, he was able to give his speech to a room full of Christians who listened to his views silently, without protest or objection. That lack of protest, that acceptance, makes his audience culpable. Objecting to it at a later time such as this, Mr. Sessions, is commendable but it in no way removes the stain of Mr. Baskerville’s actions, or of his willing and objection-free audience.
I will add that the lack of objections from the audience to the vile victim blaming perpetrated here by Mr. Baskerville confirms the absolute worst impressions that this atheist had for Christians. Though I personally believe that Jesus was nothing more than a human philosopher who lived and died once as will we all, I cannot imagine that the man Jesus would appreciate the vile and disgusting Pharisee-like behavior of his current followers, who seem hell bent on praising the powerful while re-victimizing those who were already victims.
[This commentary is in response to Stephen Baskerville’s “Faith and Reason Lecture“, given at Christian Patrick Henry College.]
Edited and published by CB