This guy is not trying to make excuses, and is calling out his own denomination to address these problems in compliance with Biblical and legal requirements.
This Southern Baptist has no idea what he is talking about. So I looked it up:
“Paige Patterson, a prominent Southern Baptist leader, has been removed from his position as president of a Texas seminary following allegations that he made abusive and demeaning comments to women.
Patterson, 75, has been heavily criticized over his past comments about women. According to The Washington Post, he encouraged abused women to stay with their husbands, implored female seminarians to look more attractive and commented on an “attractive” teenage girl’s appearance.
Patterson, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, also allegedly told a rape victim to forgive her assailant and not report the assault to police, a woman told The Washington Post earlier this week.”
How that is supposed to be comparable to homosexual priests and priests who were protected while pedophiles, I don’t know. I’m not seeing the moral equivalence.
For one thing, per Baptist theology, Paige Patterson is just a pastor. One of tens of thousands of baptist pastors, and no more important than any other. He headed a seminary. He was once a president - but he was elected president without anyone knowing of these comments, and as president had ZERO authority over any other baptist church.
There has been no cover-up. Paige Patterson has come out and said, “ I wish to apologize to every woman who has been wounded by anything I have said that was inappropriate or that lacked clarity. We live in a world of hurt and sorrow, and the last thing that I need to do is add to anyone’s heartache. Please forgive the failure to be as thoughtful and careful in my extemporaneous expression as I should have been.
I would also like to reiterate the simple truth that I utterly reject any form of abuse in demeaning or threatening talk, in physical blows, or in forced sexual acts. There is no excuse for anyone to use intemperate language or to attempt to injure another person. The Spirit of Christ is one of comfort, kindness, encouragement, truth, and grace; and that is what I desire my voice always to be.
To all people I offer my apology, but especially to women, to the family of Southern Baptists, my friends and the churches. I sincerely pray that somehow this apology will show my heart and may strengthen you in the love and graciousness of Christ.”
https://swbts.edu/news/releases/apology-gods-people/
And third, while his counseling might be wrong - as any pastor’s counseling may be wrong - there is a big difference between telling a woman to pray for an abusive husband, and raping little boys.
I think a woman being abused should separate from her husband. The marriage may or may not be possible to save, but she needs to be safe while saving it is tried. But it would be odd if Roman Catholics are arguing to divorce as a first reaction.
“The Southern Baptist Convention is on trial, and our public credibility is at stake.”
I have not heard anything about this. I hope they work it out without all the drama. Just hire a few leaders with integrity and decrease the power of the slackers.
“Evangelicals, we can no longer say sexual misconduct is just a Roman Catholic problem.”
As if there was ever any justification to say that. As if evil has any religious boundaries.
Surely and sadly there is much, maybe as much, sexual abuse in Prot churches, if not predominantly of the same kind, but the articles does not mention that while Forgotten Study: Abuse in School 100 Times Worse than by Priests ...
And your focus is on a president of a Texas seminary who upheld martial vows and faith (though at least intervention is called for in such a case).
I grew up Southern Baptist and I’ve heard that crap from the pulpit too.
The church is dead and God will judge them first.
Patterson rose to prominence in the 1970s while leading a conservative takeover of the Baptist Convention. He helped pass resolutions banning women as pastors and taught that women should be submissive to their husbands.
I'm not defending Patterson's comments as I don't know what they were....but I suspect his above position on banning women pastors and wives submitting to their husbands has a lot to do with this.
One of the goals of the Left is to get women into the pastor role. The SBC is one of the few remaining denominations to hold the Biblical line on this issue.
This is a hit piece on Southern Baptists because they support President Trump “big league.”If they’d have put Hillary in office, this would never have appeared in the media.
EVERYTHING is political now, in the months preceding the life-and-death election in November, so be wise and keep your eyes on the goal.
This ‘news’ causes me no heartburn; for I follow Apollo!
A southern Baptist thinking that only Roman Catholics have sexual deviations within their church is embarrassing on its face and shows a YUGE lack of biblical understanding.
While I have the utmost respect for Al Mohler, a few examples would have been helpful in this article. I have no idea what he is talking about. The bureacratic structure of the Catholic priesthood is far different than Protestant churches. To my knowledge we don’t shuffle bad pastors around nor excuse their behavior.
People put too much spiritual power and unearned respect for high character into church figures and that makes them easy victims for abuse. What’s done in the dark should be brought to the light and evil is shattered. Until recently, we have not acknowledged that men and boys are victims, too. We do not support them.
We should also know that powerful ministers and their families are open season for Satan and we should pray that God give the strength to recognize it and cast it out on the power and authority of Jesus.
If this guy didn’t see this coming then he ain’t paying attention