Women leaders in the evangelical Christian movement are standing up against the men in their movement who still support Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for president. They have begun to call the men out on their tolerance for Trump’s misogyny and objectification of women. in a series of four tweets:
Moore Says “No More” To Tolerating Sexual Assault
Beth Moore is the founder of Living Proof Ministries, based in Houston. She is a very popular speaker among evangelicals, and has more than 733,000 followers on Twitter. She has generally avoided politics. But she also is a survivor of sexual assault.
On October 9, 2016, she took to Twitter to share her outrage. She made her case in four tweets:
Wake up, Sleepers, to what women have dealt with all along in environments of gross entitlement & power. Are we sickened? Yes. Surprised? NO
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) October 9, 2016
Try to absorb how acceptable the disesteem and objectifying of women has been when some Christian leaders don't think it's that big a deal.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) October 9, 2016
I'm one among many women sexually abused, misused, stared down, heckled, talked naughty to. Like we liked it. We didn't. We're tired of it.
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) October 9, 2016
"Keep your mouth shut or something worse will happen." Yes. I'm familiar with the concept. Sometimes it's terrifyingly true. Still, we speak
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) October 9, 2016
Sisterhood Is Powerful
Unsurprisingly, there were responses telling her to get back in line, that a President Hillary Clinton would be a greater evil than anything Trump does. But there were also responses from prominent evangelical women who also have survived abuse and/or sexual assault.
As the Washington Post reported, Kay Warren said:
“As a victim of sexual assault, I tell you firsthand of the devastation wreaked on women and girls by predatory men & boys who think women ‘like it.'”
Warren is the wife of Rick Warren, author and pastor of Saddleback Church.
A host with the Moody Radio network, Julie Roys, expressed the women’s position well:
“I honestly don’t know what makes me more sick. Listening to Trump brag about groping women or listening to my fellow evangelicals defend him.”
Male Evangelical Establishment Defends Trump
Ralph Reed, a conservative Christian leader who is a member of Trump’s religious advisory board, called Trump’s so-called locker room talk “inappropriate” and the his 11-year old conversation on television:
“…Low on [our] hierarchy of concerns.”
Jerry Falwell, president of Liberty University, has not withdrawn his endorsement of Trump. Franklin Graham said on Facebook that both candidates are flawed, but he wanted Trump rather than Hillary Clinton to make appointments to the Supreme Court.
James Dobson of Focus on the Family continues to endorse Trump.
Writing for Red State, Kimberly Ross thinks the male evangelical leaders are too awe-struck by Trump’s celebrity and not concerned enough with protecting the humanity of women.
“Support for Trump is a stamp of approval on behavior which views women as nothing more than objects to grope, rub up against, or to have sex with and then discard. Excuse me, but we won’t be treated like that.”
And the men might keep in mind that the great majority of adults who attend their churches are women.
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.