Blaming Abel
If We Discussed Gen. 4 the Way We Discuss "Moral Failings" in Pastoral Ministry
Trigger Warning: Murder and clergy sexual abuse are discussed in the following post. It will not hurt my feelings if you bypass the newsletter this week.
FYI: The top portion (above the photo) of this newsletter is satire to prove a point.
This is a petition to release Cain from the overly harsh punishment he received after Abel’s death. After all, Cain is a good man who just had a moment of moral failure. He’s really devoted to God, haven’t you seen his sacrifices? Haven’t you seen the way he labors day in and day out just to produce an offering for the Lord? You see, Abel’s family is clearly overreacting out of bitterness. They are trying to destroy Cain’s life. You see, it’s really all Abel’s fault.
How do we know it’s Abel’s fault? He’s the one who went along for the walk. If he didn’t want to die, he should have known not to trust Cain. The fact that he went along for the walk proves that he wanted to die. He participated in his own death. Actually, he was the one tempting Cain all along. He’s a tempter. So you see, Cain is really the victim here.
Cain is remorseful about his actions. He even had a conversation with God about it. He has repented. Therefore, we are going to work through a process of reconciliation and restoration to the ministry with him. Adam and Eve should have no problems with this, after all Jesus calls us to forgive. And don’t forget, Adam and Eve are sinners too. Who are they to judge?
In Deuteronomy 22:25-27, the law is given regarding instances where women are raped in an open field (i.e. a remote and rural area). There is a fascinating verse in this section, “Do nothing to the young woman, because she is not guilty of an offense deserving death. This case is just like one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.” This imagery immediately brings to mind the Cain and Abel story.
What is God saying? That when a person is raped, he or she is as innocent as Abel. He or she could have seen it coming as much as Abel could have foreseen his murder, especially when the abuser is a pastor, priest, or seminary professor.
The satire above is written to prove a point. The moral gymnastics that often takes place when a sexual assault survivor come forward is as ridiculous and abhorrent as the statements above. The only difference between the two, is that the story of Cain and Abel features two men. Sexual assault can be perpetrated against men and women. You may be protesting, well no, the acts are different. One involves murder, the other involves sexual assault. Look at Duet. 22:26 again. “This case is just like the one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.”
In her recent memoir Baptistland, survivor and advocate Christa Brown breaks down her book into sections by “deaths.” Just like Abel, Christa had no way of knowing what her pastor was going to do when he got her alone. In no way was she complicit. In no way did she give consent. And though Christa’s physical life went on, she was in a real sense, among the “walking dead.”
Sexual assault kills your autonomy. Your voice. Your very personhood.
Other aspects of your life die too. Your sense of self. Your security. Your future. Your relationship with faith/religion. Your relationships when others fail to believe you or advocate for you. Your relationship with sex. Your health. Your productivity. Your brain.
Abel was innocent. He bears no blame for his death. Likewise, the sexual assault victim is not a tempter.
Cain was wicked, and was rightfully and permanently banished from the community- by God none-the-less. Like Cain, the perpetrator is not the victim.
It’s time the church got that straight. So please, no more “moral failing” language. No more efforts to restore to ministry. Wolves are not meant to be shepherded. Wolves are to be beaten off from the sheep with sticks, even if they are dressed in sheep’s clothing. Even if the wolf looks like a beloved brother or son.
“This case is just like the one in which a man attacks his neighbor and murders him.”
Duet. 22:26
P.S. Want to know more about this passage in Deuteronomy and what it teaches us about God’s heart for those who have been assaulted? Check out this podcast for a quick overview.