Six Truths to Remember as Ravi Zacharias's Abuse Comes Into the Light
Chances are you have a Ravi Zacharias book on your shelf. Chances are, if you are a Christian who has an interest in apologetics, Zacharias has made an impact on your life. He has mine. I have his books, I’ve listened to him speak, and my whole family has gleaned from his teaching.
Today we are grieved and angry over the evidence uncovered by a four-month long investigation commissioned by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) into allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse by the now-deceased apologist. Today we, along with so many others around the world, feel betrayed.
Christianity Today released news of the report yesterday, which you can read here. The report itself was made available by RZIM, which you can read here. And the RZIM Board published a response and an apology, which you can read here. I’ve read all three, and can say the report is terribly difficult to stomach. I would advise any reader who is a victim of sexual abuse to avoid reading the report and to also avoid reading the rest of this article. Stopping here is perhaps a life-sustaining choice for you. God does not intend for everyone to bear every burden. But for those who are able, it’s important that we face this head-on.
I’ll not rehash here what you can read for yourself in the report. Suffice it to say, Zacharias is guilty of perpetuating sexual abuse and spiritual abuse against dozens, if not hundreds, of women around the globe. His transgressions range from texting and sexting, to sexual assault on massage tables, to maintaining sexual relationships with vulnerable women who were financially supported by his organization with the express purpose of alleviating their poverty, to possible victims of rape both in the US and overseas. He exploited defenseless women, he exploited his position and power, and he exploited the trust and care of the Christian community around the world. The findings are breathtaking and dark.
The western world remains in the throes of #MeToo and the Christian community remains in the throes of #ChurchToo. Both movements are overdue, necessary, and helpful. Anytime darkness comes to light it is good. It’s also painful for so many reasons. It’s imperative that we, the followers of the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), do not hide from what’s true and what’s hard. Let us not shrink back, but lean in.
Here are six truths to rehearse and remember when any abuse comes to light:
Victims deserve to be heard and to be believed. Based on research, as well as our desire for truth and healing as Christ-followers, our initial reflex when abuse allegations are made should be to believe the victims. The vast majority of incidents of sexual abuse are never reported. Research shows that only about one-third of sexual abuse and rape survivors ever even tell anyone what happened to them. Because of their fear of retaliation and the shame survivors feel acts committed against them, two-thirds stay silent. They see how other survivors are treated and disbelieved and they don’t want to endure the same. In reality, research shows that false accusations by adults numbers somewhere between 2% and 10% (depending on the study’s definition of a false report). The numbers are similar for children: only about one-third of children ever tell anyone about the abuse they have endured and it’s estimated that only 4% to 8% of child sex abuse reports are fabricated.
Enduring sexual abuse is horrific and shame-inducing for the survivor. Few ever tell and those who do endure tremendous anguish before they ever come forward. Our first response must be to always, always believe, especially those of us who are in positions of authority in the Christian community (or parents). Too much is at stake. Investigations will bring all truth to light (and uncover any falsities), but in the initial moments of coming forward, victims deserve our full attention and validation. A third party must be secured immediately so that the truth can be reached as quickly and as objectively as possible. Much of the abuse that Zacharias perpetuated in recent years could have been prevented if just one of his outspoken victims, Lori Anne Thompson, had been believed when she raised her voice four years ago. Zacharias attacked Thompson’s motives and character, sued her for defamation, and ultimately settled out of court with a Non-Disclosure Act. Thompson’s mistreatment is one of the gravest aspects of this whole ordeal.
Whenever sin comes to light, it’s a grace. When Zacharias’s misdeeds were first uncovered, it would have been a gift to him and to his victims if he had owned up to what he had done and repented. Repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to stay in fellowship with the Spirit and stay in step with our flesh. Early and frequent repentance keeps our hearts tender and humble. No one is above accountability. No one ever outgrows the need for it. While our faith in Jesus is meant to be personal, it is never meant to be private. We are called to transparency and authenticity within the body of Christ and in our representation to outsiders. May you and I never fear accountability. It’s a gift. We are capable of wildly deceiving ourselves. For our own health, the health of others, and for the sake of Jesus’s name, let’s receive questions and rebukes with wide open hearts.
Right teaching does not equal right living. Zacharias was clearly a gifted thinker and teacher. His books, conferences, and followers point to a man who was able to effectively communicate the truth. Sadly, he did not live by the truth. In an age where we are quick to put Christian celebrities on a pedestal, and quick to measure their success by the supposed fruit that we perceive with our finite human understanding, we would do well to remember that giftedness does not equal holiness. Public lives are not always equivalent to private lives. No pastor, author, speaker, teacher, artist, or other public figure is beyond the need for accountability. As Christians, we are in fact our brothers’ keepers.
Introspection in light of such a scandal must be balanced. In speaking with my husband about the Zaharias report findings, I’ve heard myself say two opposite things: I would never do that vs. that could be me or any of us. With the former statement, I minimize my own sin, thinking I am somehow above abusing another human. The truth is I harm other humans every day with my own selfishness and lack of care for others. I am a sinner and I must weigh my sins against God and others with a grave self-awareness. On the other hand, our quickness to say, there but for the grace of God go I, minimizes Zacharias’s sin. Sexual abuse against others is uniquely horrific and violent. It’s committed against another’s body and soul, it leads to lifelong trauma, and many victims succumb to suicide. And Zacharias’s sexual sins reach far across the globe and back for many years. It’s uniquely sinister in its design and propagation. It’s true that unrepentant sin will darken anyone’s soul and strengthen anyone’s corruption. But let’s not lighten the horror of what Zacharias has done by normalizing it.
The heart wants what it wants. This was the infamous response of Woody Allen when he was questioned about leaving his wife for her adopted daughter, decades his junior. As gross and reprehensible as Allen’s behavior was, this statement is true. We will find a way to get what we want. Zacharias followed the Billy Graham Rule, meaning he never traveled without a male companion and he claimed to never spend time alone with women other than his wife of 45 years and daughters. We know now, though, that he arranged for meetings with women when he was alone at massage parlors, in hotel rooms, and on personal writing retreats overseas. No measure of accountability is sin proof. We must beg God to shape our hearts to want what he wants. We must fight sin. We must strive, with the Spirit’s strength and power, to live above reproach.
As the Christian world continues to absorb this terrible news, may we, above all else, have compassion for Zacharias’s victims. They should be foremost on our minds and in our hearts. He left dozens, maybe hundreds, of women behind who now have a lifetime of questions, pain, and trauma to endure. May we also examine ourselves, our leaders, our systems and institutions, and our presumptions, and be willing to reorient our values and our ideas. Let’s align our Christian culture with actual Christian truths where the two do not now meet. And for those of you who are like me, feeling betrayed and angry, I’m sorry. This is sad. This is hard.
God sees and God knows. He will deal justly with Zacharias. Jesus knows what it is to be vulnerable and exploited. Jesus knows what it is to be betrayed. This scandal may shake our faith and it may shake our community, but it does not shake our God. Even now he brings righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
For further reading and listening:
All Things: Episode 5: Child Safety in an Age of Relentless Sex Abuse Scandals
Thank you, Donald and Hillary, for reminding me to discuss some things with my girls today
All Things: Episode 34: Why Do Sexual Abuse Survivors Stay Silent and How Can We Help?