Another evangelical abuse scandal: It's a big reason why they worship Trump [View all]

Another evangelical abuse scandal: It's a big reason why they worship Trump
Megachurch pastor and MAGA backer admits to "inappropriate" conduct with underage girl. To the right, no big deal

By AMANDA MARCOTTE
Senior Writer
PUBLISHED JUNE 18, 2024 6:00AM (EDT)


(Salon) Another week, and another prominent Christian right pastor gets outed for alleged or apparent sexual abuse. Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church in the Dallas suburbs, was accused last week by a woman who says he first molested her when she was 12 years old. The abuse continued for the next five years, she said, until she finally asked adults for help. At the time, Morris was a married man in his mid to late 20s.

Morris responded to the allegations with a statement admitting to "inappropriate sexual behavior with a young lady," with no mention of her age. In another entirely predictable development, it appears that church leaders knew about Morris' conduct all along, but kept it to themselves after concluding there were "no other moral failures." The victim says she considered suing Morris or the church in 2005, but backed off when Morris' lawyer accused her of being "flirtatious."

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Secondly, there's the connection to Donald Trump. Morris served on Trump’s Evangelical Executive Advisory Board during the 2016 campaign and has been a relentless MAGA cheerleader ever since. He has been repeatedly accused by tax experts of violating the law that prohibits churches from endorsing political candidates. Gateway hosted Trump during the 2020 campaign, where Morris explicitly offered thanks to God "for this administration."

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We can already see the same pattern playing out again in response to the Gateway scandal. Christian therapist and former Gateway employee Bob Hamp spoke out on Twitter, arguing that "larger system dynamics are at play that both foster and protect ongoing predatory behavior" and calling on believers not to use the word "forgiveness" to sweep that larger conversation under the rug. But that appears to be exactly what is happening. Morris is stepping down, but his church claims this was a planned retirement, not the result of this scandal. In his statement, he claims that the victim and her family "graciously forgave" him in 1989. The church claims that its internal concerns were settled with a "two-year restoration process" led by religious counselors. The accuser, however, phrases it differently, writing that "we forgive because we are called to biblically forgive" but adding that her "father never ever gave his blessing on Robert returning to ministry." ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2024/06/18/another-evangelical-abuse-scandal-its-a-big-reason-why-they-worship/