“ Denying the problem , or defending bad behavior — by minimizing it , excusing it , or even explaining it away — won ’ t help .”
My heart broke in 2020 when rumors began to surface that Ravi Zacharias , the famed Christian apologist who had passed away earlier that year , had led a double life , frequently engaging in inappropriate sexual activity . In the wake of these reports and the subsequent investigation , we saw Ravi ’ s legacy collapse and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries implode . And yet , sadly enough , the Zacharias scandal is just one of many in recent memory . We ’ ve seen international pedophilia scandals rock the Roman Catholic Church ; charges of sexual harassment bring down Bill Hybels at Willow Creek ; allegations of financial mismanagement and anger issues lead to the firing of James MacDonald at Harvest Bible Chapel ; abuse of spiritual authority topple Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church in Seattle ; and accusations of sexual misconduct lead to the resignation of Hillsong ’ s founding pastor , Brian Houston .
It ’ s no wonder the church is in such a mess . Perhaps you , too , are curious as to why there are so many scandals involving Christian leaders .
If we are going to address this issue , we must begin by acknowledging the ugly truth of these scandals and recognizing the deep pain of anyone confused , angered , or personally affected by them . Denying the problem , or defending bad behavior — by minimizing it , excusing it , or even explaining it away — won ’ t help . We ’ re trying to build bridges , not burn them . That said , here are some ways we can respond to questions about church scandals :
1 . Scandals are not exclusively a church problem ; they are a human problem . Even among atheists , Mormons , Muslims , Buddhists , Hindus , and agnostics — you name the group , and I can point to a scandal . Unfortunately , we humans are a scandalprone bunch . That doesn ’ t excuse it , but it gives some perspective .
2 . Just because someone professes to be a Christian doesn ’ t mean he or she is living as a Christian . Jesus could not have been clearer when he said , “ Not everyone who says to me , ‘ Lord , Lord ,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven , but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven .” 1 The church is full of people who say they believe in Jesus , but their lives prove otherwise . Sometimes the church gets a bad rap for the actions of pseudo believers .
“ Denying the problem , or defending bad behavior — by minimizing it , excusing it , or even explaining it away — won ’ t help .”
3 . Just because someone is truly a Christian doesn ’ t mean he or she is exempt from sin . As the saying goes , becoming a Christian doesn ’ t make one sinless , but it ought to make one sin less . Even so , given our sinful human nature , there isn ’ t a single Christian who is exempt from the kind of sin that could lead to a church scandal .
4 . Too many Christians are overly influenced by culture and not influenced enough by Scripture . It ’ s no exaggeration to say that
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