Sexual harassment: zero tolerance

Jesus lived and died for us and for our sins. But he also did so to show that not everything is permitted.

It is forbidden to trample on the honour and dignity of the victims of this world with impunity, and it is forbidden to remain silent when faced with evidence of such practices because doing so is a way of agreeing with those responsible for such unacceptable behaviour.

Experience, which is a brutal teacher, shows that cases of sexual harassment repeat the same patterns over and over again, with the same dramatic characters in each particular story: recurrent perpetrators, defenceless victims, unacceptable accomplices and an indeterminate number of people who, upon hearing about the seriousness of the facts, look away indifferently and unconcernedly.

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Do we tolerate sexual harassment in our Christian circles? No one would answer anything other than a resounding NO. Agreed.

Are we willing to denounce perpetrators at any cost? Would we have the courage to confront them and point out the seriousness of their behaviour? Would we commit to defending the rights and dignity of victims, no matter the cost?

Many would say: Hold on, before we get there, we need proof. You can't accuse anyone without very clear evidence.

Let's suppose we have evidence from several women who, one after another, as so often happens, reported harassment without being believed, until the overwhelming weight of evidence finally forced the situation to be addressed.

Let's also suppose that this indifference and lack of respect and love for the victims, has caused them such brutal pain and scandal that some have left the church. Let's suppose that the harasser is removed, hidden away and made invisible.

However, the victims who still resist are dismissed with pretty words and improper advice drawing a veil over the facts and their consequences, letting time pass so that the storm passes and the aggressions are forgotten.

Who will take responsibility for such a shameful Christian witness? Who will restore the honour and dignity of the victims? Who will take care of their pain? Who will stand up and face the situation? Who would be held accountable?

What interests would defend those who acted with guilty hypocrisy, indifference, foolishness and insensitivity, believing they were acting as 'men and women of God'? Would they have acted in the same way if one of the victims had been their daughter? Would they not be ashamed?

Not seeing is not the same as not knowing. While one can choose not to see, denying what one knows after hearing irrefutable testimony is a criminal act that makes us accomplices.

Given this, we could ask some questions to those responsible for this painful situation for the victims.

Why did you say NO for so long when you knew it was YES? Why did you look the other way when the reality in front of you was so compromising? Why were you 'forced' to take the side that best suited you instead of taking the side of the victims?

Perhaps their answer would be that doing so would have meant risking unpopularity, endangering certain institutions, disrupting the established order and threatening job security and, of course, the cost would have been very high.

What? Excuse me, but that is called FREEDOM. FREE-DOM The freedom to learn not to back down, and to defend justice and truth by saying what you think and feel when faced with such a situation, regardless of the price to be paid.

How much does it cost to say 'I won't go there'? How much does it cost to report harassers? How much does it cost to defend harassed women? How important is it to uphold our Christian convictions and put them before any other benefit?

That is true freedom, and we can find it in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, in his message and words, and in his life's commitment to the least, the defenceless, and the victims of a predatory world.

We learn freedom to live and practise justice, truth and righteousness from the Master's example because He did raise his voice for the voiceless. Soli Deo Gloria.

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”. John 8:31-32.

Eduardo Delás is a evangelical pastor in Valencia, Spain and Doctor in Systematic Theology.