“See no evil.”  Evil is a hard thing to see, yet we turn our television sets on, or watch U-Tube, and see violence before our eyes repeatedly.  We’re drawn to the CSI series because “we love too see crimes solved,” but don’t even realize how much violence is contained in those shows.  People flock to the movie theater to see the latest action drama; many times to see the chase scene or the fight scenes.  No matter where we are in society–rich, poor, middle-class, in every ethnicity–violence and evil surround us, coming in many forms, and we see it every day. 

So, what does it mean to “see no evil”?  How can our eyes, even if innocent, avoid looking upon evil?

The wise saying has a double meaning.  Don’t look upon evil to participate in it, and don’t look upon evil because it could taint your soul.  Many soldiers coming home from war could tell of the terrible atrocities they experienced in battle, things they saw.  It wrenches the soul, attacking the belief system for all that is good and right.  Clergy sexual abuse victims see evil–not only in the way they were abused by the perpetrator, but too often by the way church leaders collude against them as they courageously try to hold their perpetrators accountable for unspeakable acts.  Survivors of domestic violence experience evil in a place that should be safe by perpetrators who often hide their evil well.

Perhaps we shouldn’t say “see no evil.”  We can’t help but see it; and we all do.  The real question is what will you do with evil once you see it?  I’m not talking about what we watch on a screen via the movie theater, or television, or computer.  (Although we could write letters asking these venues to tone it down.)  I’m talking about the kind of evil that we personally experience, whether it be knowing our neighbors are fighting, and we can hear the screams of the wife and child; or knowing a soldier who has come home from the war disillusioned about life; or knowing of a clergy sexual abuse situation either in our own church, or a church we’ve heard of facing that terrible issue.  

The Bible tells us to help the helpless (Luke 10:25-37).  In the story of the Good Samartitan, we are not to be like the cowardly priest, or the loathing Levite.  Both of these men, the priest and the Levite, saw what happened.  They saw evil.  Yet they looked the other way.  They passed by and didn’t stop to help.  They went so far as to cross the street to avoid coming close to the man beaten and robbed.  Jesus details what the Samaritan did.  The Samaritan went way out of his way; he went above and beyond the call of duty to help the man overtaken by thieves.  At the end of the story, Jesus asks the lawyer with whom he was speaking, “So which of these three do you think was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”  The lawyer answered, “He who showed mercy on him.”  Then Jesus said, “Go and do likewise.” 

Don’t fool yourself by saying you just looked the other way because you didn’t want to see the evil.  We all have a responsbility to deal with evil and its aftermath.  Overcome evil by doing something about it.  Go above and beyond.  Do all you can do to help.

Since the beginning of time, mankind has been plagued with evil.  In the garden, Eve was tempted by evil; Adam succombed to it.  Throughout history, there have been times of great evil, such as was experienced in the Holocaust.  Evil is something that most of us would like to avoid.  I know I would.   But how can we do that? 

The ancient proverb tells us to “Hear no evil,” and it brings to my mind the notion that if I simply shut my ears, I can avoid evil.  I just won’t “hear” the voice that would tempt so I can live a life of peace.  But my own experience has been that evil finds a way to sneak in, and before I know it, there it is.   Does just not hearing put an end to evil?  Can we just simply tune it out?

Evil is all around us.  It is unavoidable.  Turning on the TV or the radio invites evil into our homes and lives.  Even a wholesome program can be tainted with commercials that carry evil messages. 

Perhaps the proverb should say, “Heed No Evil.”   Do not give evil your attention, but at the same time, pay close attention to the evil around you.  If there is an untolerable source of evil controlling your life, get rid of the source.  Cut it off at the path.  Nip it in the bud. 

Perhaps the proverb should say, “Ward off  evil.”  Take steps to make sure evil doesn’t get in.  The Spiritual lyrics go like this, “Shut de door, keep out de debil; shut de door, keep de debil in the night.”  Make sure your life is safe.  Don’t give evil (and the devil) any chance of breaking in to your life.

But what of evil that infiltrates a society, or a group of people?   Clergy sexual abuse survivors know of a kind of evil that goes unchecked in churches who have not warded off evil.  These religious institutions have thrown caution to the wind to get just the right charismatic man in who they believe will bolster the attendance rolls, and fatten their offering coffers.  The church leaders have played into the hands of God’s ancient foe to the ruin of many lives in the church, not just the survivors of CSA.  Do individuals have a responsibility in cases where evil has crept in to a larger group?

Evil needs to be faced.  Christians and all who are religious, who are striving to live righteous lives, need to “hear no evil”…they need to pay close attention to evil around them, and ward it off.  They need to listen to what is going on around them…listen to those who speak of evil’s harms, and make the choice to do something about it to protect others from being hurt. 

The “invisible children” of Darfur have suffered incredibly at the hands of The Lord’s Army, a detestable group of marauders who steal children in the night to do their bidding.  Several religious groups from across the globe have heard the call of that evil, and have stepped in to provide safe havens for these children, even rescuing some of the children who were kidnapped.  I applaud these groups who have heard of this evil, faced it head on, and took action to stop it. 

We need those in our own country to hear the call of the evil of clergy sexual abuse to take action against it.  There is no place for clergy sexual abuse in any religious institution.  It is an evil that must be dealt with and stopped.    

The three little monkeys sat motionless on the desk of my father’s CPA.  I thought they were cute.  I loved animals; so much so that I hardly noticed the position of their hands.  One was covering his ears, one was covering his eyes, and one was covering his mouth.  We’ve all seen these three little monkeys in one form or another.   As a child, I was struck by how unnatural it was for monkeys to be frozen in time in such vicarious and obvious positioning.   I asked my mom what it meant.  She wisely informed me:   “Stay away from evil.  Don’t get close enough to hear it, see it, or even speak of it.”

In my adulthood, and especially after my experience with clergy sexual abuse, I’ve sadly learned a different meaning to the wily threesome.  After having experienced the outright wrath and collusion of church leaders for standing up against clergy sexual abuse, I have come to see these three little guys as a metaphor for denial.  Those who have survived clergy sexual abuse have heard evil.  We’ve seen evil.  We’ve experienced the added wounds of others talking behind our backs about the evil that happened, despite “admonitions” by church leaders not to “gossip.”  (The admonitions were meant to stupefy the congregation to prevent further inquiry.  Further inquiry might lead to uncovering cover-up schemes.)  But it’s only human nature to talk about clergy sexual abuse, especially if you’re a congregant wondering what really happened.  Clergy sexual abuse survivors had no choice.  We were thrown into the evil schemes of evil men.   And it’s those evil men who would rather clergy sexual abuse survivors remain in the realm of darkness.  

If we convince ourselves to “tune it out,” “look the other way,” or “bridle our tongues” when faced with evil, then aren’t we really just denying the fact that the evil is present?  In my next several blogs, I’d like to explore the concept of evil, denial, and the impact that has on righteousness.  What should we do when faced with the powers of darkness?  What does it mean to “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil”? 

Earlier this week I blogged about a man, who, being out on bail for alleged sexual assault on minors, stepped into a pulpit last Sunday to preach!  That is clearly one man who has no conscience, but is puffed up with himself, arrogantly mocking God in God’s house.  

By contrast, I heard a sermon from a very brave and courageous clergyman on Sunday morning, a man of conscience.

The title of his sermon was, “In All Things, Bear Witness of God and to Good.”  It was a sermon that shared his own witness to the suffering of his wife who is an incest survivor.  He expounded the importance of tackling domestic violence issues in our country.  He encouraged his congregation to hear the voices of the oppressed, to be courageous in standing up for those who are suffering, and to work for justice on their behalf.

This pastor not only had conscience, but he also exhibited great courage, compassion, and caring.  He exemplified the love of Christ in supporting the oppressed, including sex abuse survivors.  I can only offer my thanks, and say, “Bravo!”  Christ will say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” 

Second Kings 22 and 23 records the story of Josiah, an eight-year-old boy who became king over Judah, the southern Kingdom of what is now Israel.  It is said of him that “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (22:2).  In other words, Josiah did the right thing.  He ruled over Israel 31 years.

First, when Josiah turned 18, he made an assessment of the damage to the house of the Lord, then set out to make the needed repairs.  Upon doing so, Josiah stumbled upon the Book of the Law–God’s Law.  He realized “our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (22:13).   Josiah feared the wrath of God for their disobedience (he had a conscience).

Next, Josiah gathered all the leaders of the land, both religious and civic, and restored worship in the land.  He removed the idolatrous priests (who were sexually immoral men, among other things) and their paraphenalia, burning these to “powder.”  He wiped out and destroyed all and anyone associated with idolatry in the land. 

Finally, he commanded the people to observe the Passover with a mighty festival.  Righteousness was restored in Judah for 21 years.  As long as Josiah remained alive, the judgment on Judah was suspended because Josiah “turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses” (23:25).

What made Josiah great was the fact that he did the right thing.  He used his power and authority to destroy the evil around him, and bring the people back to God.    

Contrast this with what too many in the clergy are doing today:  abusing their power and authority to do what is heinous in the eyes of God by sexually assaulting women and children in churches, synagogues, and temples.   And even those not causing such atrocities, stand by doing little, if anything, to avert clergy sexual abuse in their midst.   Some even protect the pastor predators.

What we need in our country is for good, righteous men to do the work of restoring righteousness and holiness in our places of worship.  Are there any who will turn to the Lord with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their might?  

When good men do the right thing, the land prospers, and there is peace and happiness among all the people.  When good men do nothing, evil persists.   

The Apocrypha records the story of Antiochus Epiphanes  who plundered and ransacked the Jewish Temple leaving it (and the people) in shambles.  Not satisfied, he later returned to Jerusalem, overtook the city, ordered the people to denounce their religious practices, and completely forego Mosaic Law.  He sacrificed pigs and unclean animals to mock Israel.  It was an abomination.  (cf. I Maccabees)

This past weekend, a church allowed an errant pastor to preach in their pulpit.  This concept isn’t new to anyone familiar with clergy sexual abuse.  Pastors, priests and rabbis accused of sexually abusing women and children in their parishes are moved on to other parishes as part of cover up plans.  What makes this new case so detestable, however, is the fact that the pastor was arrested in January and again in March for leud conduct and child molestation.  He is ”out on bail” awaiting trial.  This is an abomination. 

You would think there would be an outcry in the denomination.  But there is none.  You would think the congregants would boycott the church.  But the pews are filled.  You would think someone would at least shout “Foul!”  But most voices remain silent, save for the victims and survivors.

Where are the Maccabees to save us?  Who is standing up against conservative Christian churches to denounce clergy sexual abuse?  Yes, there are a few–Christa Brown, Dee Ann Miller, Diana Garland, to mention a few–but where are the godly men who should be taking a stand against this kind of apostasy?

We need to overturn this kind of evil, and allow the pure, holy, and clean miracle of lights to shine once again in our churches and temples. 

More and more the news media is reporting cases of clergy sexual abuse.  Marie Fortune, founder of Faith Trust Institute, and Diana Garland, Chair of the Department of Social Work at Baylor University, are quoted in a USA Today article.  It is very informative.  If you’re a Protestant, or a conservative Evangelical, this article should hit home.  And after you read this article, ask yourself, “What are conservative Evangelical churches doing to address the issue of clergy sexual abuse?”

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/04/abuse-of-faith.html

The assignment was to write a persuasive letter, a letter designed to convince someone else to do something they might not otherwise do.  The third grader wrote a letter to her parents asking them to take her to Disneyland.  She signed her letter, “Sincerely, Your Little Princess.”  Her signature alone would have persuaded me.  What better place to take your little princess than to Disneyland, home of so many princesses.

As adults, sometimes we have to write persuasive letters.  We write letters to schools, insurance companies, doctors, lawyers, and even contractors.  We blog on the internet to persuade others that we have something important to say.

History reveals many who persuaded others.  Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mother Theresa are but a few examples of those who persuaded others to do what is right with their persuasive words.

The Bible is a source of many persuasive writings.  King David in the Old Testament wrote many letters to God in the form of Psalms, trying to persuade God to bless those who fear the Lord, and destroy those who go against God.  The Prophets tried to persuade the people of God to stop sinning and return to the Lord or face dire consequences.  The Apostle Paul wrote persuasive letters to the first churches, encouraging new believers, and instructing them on how to live holy lives.

While persuasive words are mostly effective, some people are hard to convince.  Moses couldn’t persuade Pharaoh because Pharaoh had a hard heart.  Jesus couldn’t persuade the Pharisees because they were self-righteous.

Many times abuse survivors are faced with religious leaders who have hard hearts and are self-righteous.  These religious leaders often refuse to be persuaded of the truth.  When presented with the testimony of many abuse victims, they try to discount the witnesses, or say one witness does not affect the other, or they falsely proclaim the accusations are “not credible.”  These are the same old tactics used by Pharaoh and the Pharisees.  It seems impossible for the message to get through, let alone persuade them to hold the perpetrator accountable.  It is to the discredit of church leaders when they collude against women and children who have been victimized by clergy.  It is to the harm of not only the victims, but the entire congregation as religious leaders cower when they should exhibit courage, comfort, and resolve.

Should we stop trying to persuade those in the faith, especially its leaders?  Absolutely not!  I can’t imagine a little girl, a “Little Princess” only giving one try to persuade her parents to take her to Disneyland!  We should not give up asking the church or synagogue or temple to hold errant clergy accountable.  We should never give up asking God to act on our behalf to bring justice in cases of clergy sexual abuse.  Our assignment is to “write a persuasive letter.”

This is a new feature of Sharon’s Rose dot Org.  I’m happy to be able to update my voice, and am hopeful that the information being offered on this blog will be helpful to you.  I am looking forward to many discussions about surviving and thriving clergy sexual abuse in the days and months ahead.