Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Nov/91

Contributor - Eric Michael Drakeford

Title - As I See It: Christian Response to Sexual Harassment

Topic - Sexual Harassment

Like many other people, I have been fascinated and appalled by what has been taking place in the U.S. Senate hearings concerning the suitability of a particular judge for appointment to the Supreme Court. The issue at stake was sexual harassment: the action that elicited so much interest is part of what we are increasingly being made aware of, namely, violence against women.

I believe violence against women is the ultimate form of sexism, and sexual discrimination. Violence against women is manifested in verbal sexual harassment, rape, child molestation, pornography, and wife abuse. During my thirty-five years of ministry I have had to counsel victims of all these crimes; in recent years, the number of people requiring counselling has sharply increased. Random sampling of women who have been sexually abused indicate that these crimes occur with frightening frequency. Today, more and more women are coming forward to accentuate what has happened, and is still happening in society.

Fifteen years ago there was no Federal Human Rights Code to prevent sexual harassment; indeed, it did not even have a name in Canada. During the past decade legal experts point out that the few gains made can be measured only in inches whilst we still have miles to go. Society at large, and courts and tribunals in particular invested with the authority to adjudicate on such issues, still suffer from a distinctive lack of sensitivity to the whole problem.

Far too many women live with the knowledge that sexism is alive and well and exists on all levels of society. Sexual abuse transcends age barriers; the median age for the sexual molestation of girls is eleven years, and it has been reported that infants of six months of age have suffered sexual abuse. In 75% of such cases the offender is part of, or is well known to, the family. (Joyce Holliday, "An Epidemic of Violence", Sojourner 1984)

And what is the society in which we live? A 1981 anthropological study indicated that we live in a sexually violent society not because, as is popularly asserted, such violence is just biological male behaviour, but rather because it is a sociological and cultural force. (Peggy Reeves Sanday, "The Socio-Cultural Context of Rape" (Journal of Social Studies) The characteristics of such a force are three-fold. Firstly, there is interpersonal violence expressed through war and aggression. Secondly, there is male dominance, where women generally play a subordinate role. Thirdly, there is sexual separation, such as the general exclusion of women from political and religious spheres, institutionalization of male activities (whether pragmatic or recreational) and clearly defined male and female roles.

With these forces shaping the society in which we live, it is important for us to look to Holy Scripture and try to understand the Biblical stance, and fashion our lives on it rather than let the world squeeze us into its mould.

In the Old Testament we are given, in the first creation story, the equality of men and women: "So God created man in his own image ... male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27 NIV). Both were created in the image of God and this implies both were coheirs, working alongside each other in the ongoing stewardship of the world God had created.

In the developing nation of Israel, women had an important role to play, and in spite of the patriarchal society of the time, people like Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, and Esther were no diminutive figures.

Isaiah, whose writings are quoted more in the New Testament than all the other prophets combined, brings out on four occasions that God has female as well as male characteristics or qualities. (Isaiah 42:14; 46:3; 49:15; 66:13) These indicate that God is all encompassing in character as well as having the desire to nurture and love His children.

When we come to the New Testament, St. Paul is frequently cited as a thorn in the feminists' side, but I believe this is because he is not properly understood. In fact, in Galatians 3:28 he is revolutionary concerning equality for he writes: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

When we come to Jesus Christ, we begin to see the radical role of women given new life. From the woman at the well to the one caught in the act of adultery, to Mary washing His feet, Jesus showed love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness. Indeed, both sexes received His graciousness, healing, and comfort alike. In spite of living in the extreme patriarchal society of His day, we are given, through the works and words of the Son of God, a concept that all are of equal value in His and the Father's eyes.

At Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to the Upper Room in Jerusalem, both men and women were filled and received empowerment to be witnesses and ministers of the Good News.

As we reflect on the role of women in Scripture, we see that they are not secondary to men, but share along with them an equal inheritance to the affairs of the Kingdom. So today we must, as Christians, respond by ensuring that women regain status lost and actively combat any kind of violence, verbal or physical, against women.

I believe there are various avenues of approach we as Christians can take to combat sexism and its corresponding forms of violence. We, in the Christian Church, can determine to be a place where both men and women can be themselves and be accepted as they are and recognized as people made in the image of God.

We can be an all-encompassing body of believers united to live responsibly, as Christ has called us, to be an outpost of love and thus to be a viable alternative in this darksome world to secular society.

By our prayer and care, we can be a place of refuge, healing, restoration, for the victims of sexual violence. In such a place it is possible for a victimized woman to have her humanity and value re-affirmed and learn, or relearn, that Christ loves her.

We, who are men, and part of the Christian body, must make a concerted effort to try and understand what it means to be a woman; what it means to be sexually harassed and objectified for physical attributes and anticipated pleasure only. We Christian men must affirm our identify and security in Christ and not seek our identity in being "one of the boys" or doing what "the boys" do.

We men must combat sexism by corporately and individually repenting of sexist attitudes and then live out that repentance in the light of Christ's example and the Holy Spirit's guidance. We Christian parents need to educate our children in a non-sexist way and to teach them to have equal respect for female and male friends and to show them this is compatible with a love for the Lord Jesus.

I believe we also need to be involved in raising the consciousness of society toward the plight of women through political reform. We need to challenge authorities so that there will be wide spread funding crisis centres, in creased availability of counselling for the child-abuse victims, and more shelters for battered women.

Mobilization, organization, and commitment are very necessary ingredients if we are going to combat sexual harassment in all its forms. But most importantly, we need prayer and the study of God's Word as we seek guidance and wisdom concerning our involvement in these important matters.

We, the people of God, need to be in the forefront of breaking down the fallacy of male supremacy and female inferiority. Our record has not been good and the Church has not been what God called it to be. We can remedy that by illumining the Biblical stance and bringing healing and restoration to those who have been broken and disinherited, and thus reaffirm our love and devotion to Jesus Christ.

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