The women whom Russell Brand raped and sexually assaulted have for weeks endured the ordeal of a heavily publicised trial. Throughout, Brand held online prayer meetings with followers. Does he feel Christian sympathy for those women?
Only Brand, in the deepest recesses of his conscience, can know.
The answer would be the best indicator of whether the disgraced comic, actor and born-again Christian has worn his newfound faith as a cloak in an effort to deflect and distract from the seriousness of the allegations against him. Or whether his conversion is a profound and sincere one – a spiritual crutch he may need in the coming years.
Whatever the truth, Brand’s case demonstrates how Christianity has become a frontier in the culture wars along which battle lines are now drawn on all kinds of ethical, political and even legal issues.
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This really isn’t new. Tons of stories stretching back to the Middle Ages of dudes joining monasteries to hide from/attempt to mask their crimes. Abrupt religious affinities have long been used by people to try and avoid consequences of their actions. A true Christian is one who would recognize that repentance involves accepting the consequences of one’s sins and finding effective ways to make amends.
I’d like to believe that Brand has had a genuine change. But as Jesus Himself teaches, it’s what comes out of a person that either defiles or purifies and that we will know a person by their “fruit” (meaning their actions). If his “Christianity” is an elaborate sympathy ploy or selfish attempt at skirting real consequences (“see, I’ve confessed! I’ve made a change in my life to be better!”) then it’s about as genuine as the gold pockmarking the White House right now.
Does Christianity forbid rape?
I know that at least in the old testament there is no explicit all-encompassing command against it. (edited:) The main command is against raping a teenage girl who’s a virgin and is engaged which sometimes results in an execution of the victim as well (this also includes having sex with a married girl/woman which is punished by death for both participants). And when she is not engaged then it ends in a marriage of the rapist and the victim, and
Though, there are a few stories that depict rape as a crime/in a bad light and end in the murder of the rapist, but to my knowledge there are no “straightforward” rape cases (for example, one of them is done by a foreigner, another is incest which is forbidden on its own, and a third one is done by many people), and god does not take these opportunities to come out against the crime, the punishment/revenge is all done autonomously by the people.
Very unchristian of you to judge another person like that. You holy book is very explicit about what you just did.
(Note that this is not a defense of Brand, but a criticism of certain Christians and Christianity itself)
Where is the judgement?
The whole second paragraph?
But specifically, the very last sentence.
Christians are pretty explicitly taught to never have judgement about whether or not another Christian’s faith is genuine. That’s a big no no
This couldn’t be more incorrect but what a lot of Christians that don’t actually read the Bible think.
The Bible says believers are specifically supposed to call out others that claim to be Christians if their actions suggest otherwise. Believers are NOT to be judgmental of unbelievers, but very much call out those in the church.
Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV) If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
1 Corinthians 5:11-12 (ESV) But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
Titus 1:13 (ESV) This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
Titus 2:15 (ESV) Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV) Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
There are many more.
Note, in the Bible Jesus only lacked sympathy and showed anger for two kinds of sinners: self-righteous hypocrites and those who used the church to enrich themselves.
It’s both. Humans are complex beings.
To put it another way, love is unconditional, access to me is not.
Prole said a couple comments above:
Very unchristian of you to judge another person like that. You holy book is very explicit about what you just did.
That statement couldn’t be farther from the truth and I provided citations. A Christian is in fact supposed to judge another believers behavior and call it out when it’s bad, and to separate from them when they are unrepentant. They are supposed to be kind in doing so but nonetheless supposed to call them out.
There’s even more instruction and warnings to watch out for those that use Christ’s name to further their own evil while pretending to be righteous. Jesus was quite direct and harsh in his confrontation with such people.
I’m saying it’s not either or (I think in programing language it’s called XOR). im not sure how I could have been more clear than “both.”
Yeah seems like it’s stupidly obvious. He used to talk as a strong progressive. Then he realized really fast that progressives don’t have a history of having sympathy or sticking by rapists, and he realized that if he wanted any hope of having any one on his side, he needed to change to the people that will stick by a rapist as long as he attacks the people they want to attack.
It was super obvious from here what he was doing.
Who the fuck cares?
I mean… surely some people care 🤷
Well, the US has a Trump administration which has openly flaunted the Separation of Church and State, with whispers of Christian Nationalism planned for the future. Perhaps Brand’s story reminds us of some of the dangers.
