Hello, fellow wayfarers … How the church abuse scandals of the past decade should prepare us for whatever comes next with the Epstein files … What Joni Eareckson Tada would say to someone who asks after a tragedy, “Where was God?” … A Desert Island Bookshelf from the Grand Canyon State … This is this week’s Moore to the Point.
How the Church Sexual Abuse Crisis Should Prepare Us for the Epstein Files
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” a friend said to me, mentioning the latest news reports on the battle over the release of the files of Jeffrey Epstein. I responded, “I wish I could say the same.”
Now, in one sense, of course, none of us has seen anything quite like this. After all, Epstein is perhaps the most notorious sex trafficker in history, with allegations that he enabled the rape of girls in webs of influence of the most powerful men in the world. With Congress having voted Tuesday to release the Epstein files and sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his approval, we are only just now entering this era.
But in another sense, we should be prepared for it. The church sexual abuse crises of the past decade should have taught us something. When it comes to justifying the cover-up of or inaction toward the sexual predation of minors, we can anticipate how these conversations typically go.
I’ve seen a predictable set of seven steps play out in bad church or ministry responses to sex predators in their midst—a pattern we can see here and everywhere the veil is lifted on this kind of evil.
Step 1: This is not a problem. In a church context, we can always find those who don’t want to think an institution they love could be vulnerable to this kind of awful behavior. These are the people predators count on to empower them to keep doing what they do. Whenever the subject of abuse comes up, some of these people say, “We all know each other at our church. We’re like family.” Or, of a denomination or another bigger system, “We are protected from this by …” and then fill in that blank with things like “having bishops” or “not having bishops” or whatever.
We are, it seems, well past this step in the Epstein files debate.
Step 2: Yes, it’s a problem, but the other side is worse. In some cases, a church or ministry never proceeds past step 1, but when denial fails—usually because those calling out the issues are persistent—the next move is to export the problem. First, a constituency accepts a dark vision of human nature. They suggest that abuse happens everywhere and is just a part of the world in which we live. Often those who don’t want any more questions asked employ language of “pearl-clutching” and “moralizing.” Moral relativism disguises itself as realism.
Then, we usually hear the next stage of this step in the words “What about …?” to point out how awful the enemies are. Once people establish an agreement of the enemies’ failures, the “desperate times call for desperate measures” rationale for ignoring moral atrocities becomes much easier.
Step 3: Yes, it’s a problem, but it’s not as bad as it could be. On this, podcaster Megyn Kelly is a step in front of the crowd. Her argument was that, no matter what we find in the Epstein files, we should remember that technically he was an ephebophile who allegedly sexually preferred “barely legal” girls as young as 15. First of all, of course, minor girls are not “barely legal.” They’re not legal at all in the sense of being able to consent to their own rape and trafficking.
When accusations were made several years ago that former judge Roy Moore allegedly sexually assaulted minors, I had to respond live on television to one of his supporters who suggested that, even if this were proven to be true, Mary was probably a teenager and Joseph an old man. There are so many biblical and moral problems with such a defense that I struggled to know where to start.
Most people will not move to impugning the morality of the holy family, but often the strategy is the same: “Nobody is saying this is good, but here’s how it wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been.”
Step 4: Yes, it’s a problem, but the cause is too important. When, over a quarter century ago, a scandal emerged about former president Bill Clinton using his power over a White House intern to exploit her sexually, some feminist leaders were in a quandary because of their previous definitions of sexual harassment. Some of them immediately pivoted to saying, “Well, everybody thinks this was wrong, but …” and then discussed how important Clinton was for their cause of keeping abortion legal. Many on the right denounced this for the moral equivocation it was. In the fullness of time and in the more recent era, they would use the same strategy over and over again to great success.
Church sexual abuse scandals have operated much the same way. Those who pointed out severe systemic flaws that enabled the cover-up of abuse were sometimes told that their public criticism could lead to people not giving, which would lead to missionaries not being funded, which would lead people going to hell. “We can fix all this over time,” the argument goes, “but the cause is more important than a few bad situations.”
Step 5: The whistleblowers are the problem. In church or denominational settings, I’ve seen those who point out the problem—whether survivors or their advocates—maligned as being anti-church or importing some dangerous political or religious ideology from “the outside.” Rarely is this done immediately or publicly. The game of those who quiet the whistleblowers is to seek retribution against them—publicly enough that others will see and be warned but privately enough that by the time people hear of the retaliation, it can be waved away as an “old story.”
This is twinned closely with step 6.
Step 6: Stop asking if it’s a problem, or you’re not one of us. Those who want disclosure or reform—or who simply don’t want to support those who are involved in rape or other predatory behavior, even if it’s on “our side”—are shunned. Those remaining are then implicitly warned that, to stay in the fold, we need to resist being “distracted” by those who are “trying to divide us.” That’s a powerful incentive.
We are designed to want to belong, and it’s scary not to do so. That’s especially true when a person wants to be in a group and has ambitions to somehow lead it. The threat of exile hits at a level much deeper than just rationality or strategy; it can feel to the psyche like the exclusion of hell itself.
Some people intentionally sear their consciences so as not to face rejection. But other people don’t even notice themselves doing it. A part of them seems to “switch off” any thought about justice for victims. They can be safely inside at the low, low cost of one soul.
Step 7: This is not a problem. The typical pattern is then to end up where we started: This is not a problem. The end result, the strategy goes, is to have most of those inside the tent thinking, This again? How long until we move on? the next time it is brought up.
Those are the seven steps I’ve seen play out. But they are not inevitable. I’ve seen churches and ministries break this cycle, but it required much more than most people are willing to give. Thankfully, there’s an eighth step—one we haven’t seen yet, but we will. As the Nicene Creed puts it, Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.”
I don’t know what the Epstein files will reveal, if and when we ever see them. What I do know is that we can decide ahead of time how we will respond.
Congratulations to Nicole Martin, the New CEO of Christianity Today
When the search began for a new CEO for Christianity Today, lots of us could think immediately and only of one obviously equipped and gifted choice: our colleague Nicole Martin. We were overjoyed, then, that after many months of a nationwide search process, the board at CT, through a search committee of leaders and the consultation of CarterBaldwin, just announced her as their unanimous choice for CEO.
Some of you will have heard Nicole, as she is periodically on The Bulletin. Others of you know her from her books or from seeing her speak.
Nicole is a natural leader with extensive experience leading in Christian organizations. I’ve seen her operate in both the “fun” kinds of decisions and the “not fun” kinds. She’s a person who is easy to both respect and love. She activates enthusiasm and creativity wherever she goes. She loves the Lord and his church. She is also hilariously funny.
I could not be happier with this choice. Pray for Nicole, her husband, and her kids. Congratulations, Nicole!
Joni Eareckson Tada Reflects on How She Found Happiness After Horror
What happens when a 17-year-old’s dive into the Chesapeake Bay changes everything—and healing never comes? Fifty-eight years later, Joni Eareckson Tada sits across from me with an answer that might undo everything you think you know about strength, suffering, and the strange mercy of God.
In this conversation marking the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we go where few dare: into the raw, daily reality of quadriplegia, chronic pain that would break most of us by breakfast, and a two-time battle with breast cancer. But this isn’t inspiration porn. This is Joni—unflinching, funny, and fiercely honest about what it means when “I can do all things through Christ” meets 4 a.m. despair.
We talk about the crushing loneliness of having the only wheelchair in a room full of chairs, the rage when well-meaning Christians promise healing that doesn’t come, the exhaustion of advocating for your own existence, and the reason Joni tells God some mornings, “I have no strength for today. Can I borrow yours?”
But we also discover something unexpected: how limitation becomes liberation. We explore why the community among those with disabilities might be the most honest place in America and what happens when churches stop trying to “fix” people and start making room for them.
Fair warning: Joni doesn’t do platitudes. She’ll tell you exactly what not to say to someone in chronic pain. (Spoiler: “Everything happens for a reason” isn’t it.) She’ll explain why she’s terrified of a world that’s editing out Down syndrome. And she’ll make you rethink whether your church’s “All Are Welcome” sign means anything if there’s no ramp to the door.
This is for anyone who’s ever wondered where God is when the miracle doesn’t come, for those caring for someone who’s suffering and don’t know what to say, for all of us who suspect our obsession with optimization and control might miss the point entirely.
You can listen here.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I am grateful for the opportunity to converse with you every week!
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Desert Island Bookshelf
Every other week, I share a list of books that one of you says you’d want to have on hand if you were stranded on a deserted island. This week’s submission comes from reader Janece Ohlman from Kayenta, Arizona, who writes,
Your newsletter and podcast are highlights of my week. They always give me food for thought. The Desert Island Playlists and Desert Island Bookshelves are interesting looks at possible new favorites. I’ve been thinking about what books I would choose for the Desert Island Bookshelf ever since I started reading your newsletter. Some have changed and will again after I submit this, maybe within minutes! Others I would have included, but I don’t currently have copies.
Here’s her list:
- Gone-Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright. A kids’ book. A nostalgic look at childhood summers. A friend recommended this, and it’s been a favorite of both of ours for years.
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. A classic character study. The BBC series is an excellent depiction of this book, but since there may not be internet streaming on this island, the book is worth reading many times.
- The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Another kids classic. This is my daughter’s copy. (It’s fancier than mine.) A favorite video of our family included many quotes from this book, and that inspired me to actually read it. I am glad I did. The encouragement to adventure is what I like best about it.
- Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. I would have included more of his writings if space allowed.
- Field Guide to the Birds of North America, second edition, by National Geographic Society. One of several of my field guides. If the birds are visible long enough, I want to know what they are!
- Wild Edible Plants of Western North America by Donald R. Kirk. Don’t know the food situation on this island, so maybe this or the appropriate equivalent would help. Plus, I just want to know, though if I’m there long enough, I could write my own (or whoever finds me could if I choose poorly).
- A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon by Stephen Whitney. Again, an appropriate equivalent would be very helpful. I like to know what I’m looking at, or least what I could be looking at.
- The Art of the Commonplace by Wendell Berry. I haven’t read this yet; it’s a recent acquisition. I’m new to Berry and have thoroughly enjoyed his short stories of Port William.
- The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien. I’m counting this as one book because they’re all in a box! These are my all-time favorites (50 years and counting). I have read them many times, usually once a year. As an adult, they have helped me think about my Christian walk and how I don’t have to do it alone. Help and helpers always come.
- More Collected Verse of Robert Service. When I was a kid, my family lived in Alaska for a few years, and this Canadian poet was a favorite. A special memory is when we visited his home in Yukon Territory.
- A Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie. An updated classic devotional.
- The Family Mark Twain. I’ve read Twain off and on over the years. I’m hoping to have time to read all of this.
Thank you, Janece!
Readers, what do y’all think? If you were stranded on a desert island for the rest of your life and could have only one playlist or one bookshelf with you, what songs or books would you choose?
- For a Desert Island Playlist, send me a list between 5 and 12 songs, excluding hymns and worship songs. (We’ll cover those later.)
- For a Desert Island Bookshelf, send me a list of up to 12 books, along with a photo of all the books together.
Send your list (or both lists) to questions@russellmoore.com, and include as much or as little explanation of your choices as you would like, along with the city and state from which you’re writing.
Quote of the Moment
“There is an intelligence to the universe (of which we are fractal) and that intelligence has a character and that character is benign. Intends well toward all things. How could it not?”
—Cormac McCarthy, from his personal notes
Currently Reading (or Re-Reading)
- Douglas McKelvey, Every Moment Holy: Writers and Poets (Rabbit Room Press)
- Ronald Blythe, Next to Nature: A Lifetime in the English Countryside (John Murray)
- W. E. B. Du Bois, Darkwater: Voices from within the Veil (Dover)
- Sven Birkerts, The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- Malcolm Cowley, Exile’s Return: A Literary Odyssey of the 1920s (Penguin)
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Major Works, ed. H. J. Jackson (Oxford University Press)
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Ask a Question or Say Hello
The Russell Moore Show podcast includes a section where we grapple with the questions you might have about life, the gospel, relationships, work, the church, spirituality, the future, a moral dilemma you’re facing, or whatever. You can send your questions to questions@russellmoore.com. I’ll never use your name—unless you tell me to—and will come up with a groan-inducing pun of a pseudonym for you.
And, of course, I would love to hear from you about anything. Send me an email at questions@russellmoore.com if you have any questions or comments about this newsletter, if there are other things you would like to see discussed here, or if you would just like to say hello.
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Russell Moore
Editor in Chief, Christianity Today
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