Russell Moore was one of several Christian leaders to speak out on comments made by Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Paige Patterson that have recently resurfaced.
As we previously reported:
[lborder]Patterson advised women who are being physically abused by their husbands to stay with them. He recounts one story in which a “woman who was in the church that I served” was being abused by her husband. He told her the right thing to do was to pray for him after he falls asleep even though “he may get a little more violent, you know, when he discovers this.” Later, she showed up to church with two black eyes. Patterson said he was “very happy” because the husband later showed up to church and asked for forgiveness and prayer …
In another case, he said, referring to cases of abuse, “I have never in my ministry counseled that anybody seek a divorce,” but, he says, “There have been, however, an occasion or two when the level of the abuse was serious enough, dangerous enough, immoral enough that I have counseled temporary separation and the seeking of help.” Though he added, “I would urge you to understand that that should happen only in the most serious of cases … More often, when you face abuse, it is of a less serious variety.”
[/lborder]Though he did not apologize for the comments, he released a statement yesterday saying, “I have never counseled or condoned abuse of any kind … Any physical or sexual abuse of anyone should be reported immediately to the appropriate authorities, as I have always done.”
Today, in a series of tweets, Russell Moore, the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, explained that the Bible clearly states that abuse warrants divorce.
You can read his tweets below:
The Bible teaches, in my view, that divorce is ethical in cases of sexual immorality (Matt. 5:32) or abandonment (1 Cor. 7:25). Abuse makes a home unsafe and constitutes abandonment.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) May 1, 2018
A woman being abused should leave the house and call the police. The state should prosecute the abuser and the church should discipline him.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) May 1, 2018
Marriage as a picture of the Christ/church mystery (Eph. 5:32) means that spousal abuse is not only cruel and unlawful, but is all that and also blasphemous against a Christ who loves and sacrificed himself for his Bride.
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) May 1, 2018
