14-year-old girls courting adult men

[wing2000]

Is there a deeper problem in Evangelical culture?

I use the phrase “14-year-old girls courting adult men,” rather than “adult men courting 14-year-old girls,” for a reason: Evangelicals routinely frame these relationships in those terms. That’s how I was introduced to these relationships as a home-schooled teenager in the 1990s, and it’s the language that my friends and I would use to discuss girls we knew who were in parent-sanctioned relationships with older men.

.....

The evangelical world is overdue for a reckoning. Women raised in evangelicalism and fundamentalism have for years discussed the normalization of child sexual abuse. We’ve told our stories on social media and on our blogs and various online platforms, but until the Roy Moore story broke, mainstream American society barely paid attention. Everyone assumed this was an isolated, fringe issue. It isn’t.

Kathryn Brightbill is legislative policy analyst at the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a nonprofit advocating for the interests of home-schooled children.


Roy Moore's alleged pursuit of a young girl is the symptom of a larger problem in evangelical circles

 

[brinny]

Is there a deeper problem in Evangelical culture?

I use the phrase “14-year-old girls courting adult men,” rather than “adult men courting 14-year-old girls,” for a reason: Evangelicals routinely frame these relationships in those terms. That’s how I was introduced to these relationships as a home-schooled teenager in the 1990s, and it’s the language that my friends and I would use to discuss girls we knew who were in parent-sanctioned relationships with older men.

.....

The evangelical world is overdue for a reckoning. Women raised in evangelicalism and fundamentalism have for years discussed the normalization of child sexual abuse. We’ve told our stories on social media and on our blogs and various online platforms, but until the Roy Moore story broke, mainstream American society barely paid attention. Everyone assumed this was an isolated, fringe issue. It isn’t.

Kathryn Brightbill is legislative policy analyst at the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, a nonprofit advocating for the interests of home-schooled children.


Roy Moore's alleged pursuit of a young girl is the symptom of a larger problem in evangelical circles

Are you referring to child sex trafficking that is alleged to be universally rampant and also alleged to be protected?

 

[wing2000]

Are you referring to child sex trafficking that is alleged to be universally rampant and also alleged to be protected?

No, the author is referring to "courtships" between older men and teenagers....although, one could might say it is a form of sex trafficking...

 

[majj27]

I'd guess not. The courting/betrothal model that has grown in certain American Evangelical circles has some very disturbing implications in some cases.

At least, *I* find them disturbing.

EDIT: Totally ninja'd by wing2000 there. I was replying to brinny.

 

[brinny]

No, the author is referring to "courtships" between older men and teenagers....

That's included in rampant and universal child sex trafficking, allegedly.

It's big business and seriously protected, allegedly.

Possibly only one segment of this huge and profitable and universal industry, allegedly.

It has many labels, and forms, and practices, allegedly.

 

[joshua 1 9]

No, the author is referring to "courtships" between older men and teenagers....although, one could might say it is a form of sex trafficking...

If you click on the link she is talking about men that would creep her out when she was a little girl. There is a very high percentage of children investigated for reported abuse. This is something people just do not talk about. Recently there has been a lot of this starting to surface in Hollywood and this is becoming more a part of the conversation where they did not use to talk about it at all.

 

[Christie insb]

That's included in rampant and universal child sex trafficking, allegedly.

It's big business and seriously protected, allegedly.

Possibly only one segment of this huge and profitable and universal industry, allegedly.

It has many labels, and forms, and practices, allegedly.

What do you mean, allegedly?

 

[wing2000]

If you click on the link she is talking about men that would creep her out when she was a little girl. There is a very high percentage of children investigated for reported abuse. This is something people just do not talk about. Recently there has been a lot of this starting to surface in Hollywood and this is becoming more a part of the conversation where they did not use to talk about it at all.

Yes, but the author goes on to say that within certain fundamentalists circles, girls were groomed....

"As a teenager, I attended a lecture on courtship by a home-school speaker who was popular at the time. He praised the idea of “early courtship” so the girl could be molded into the best possible helpmeet for her future husband. The girl’s father was expected to direct her education after the courtship began so she could help her future husband in his work.

In retrospect, I understand what the speaker was really describing: Adult men selecting and grooming girls who were too young to have life experience. Another word for that is “predation.”

 

[brinny]

What do you mean, allegedly?

That the claims are "alleged".

 

[brinny]

If you click on the link she is talking about men that would creep her out when she was a little girl. There is a very high percentage of children investigated for reported abuse. This is something people just do not talk about. Recently there has been a lot of this starting to surface in Hollywood and this is becoming more a part of the conversation where they did not use to talk about it at all.

Exactly.

 

[essentialsaltes]

When you see Moore (or people here) talk about how he always got the parents' permission before dating a young girl, you can hear the echoes of a particularly patriarchal form of religion. Where girls are property, and are handed over from the previous owner and guardian of sexuality (dad) to the new one (husband). Virginity pledges, purity balls...

 

[Christie insb]

That the claims are "alleged".

So you don't believe them?

 

[joshua 1 9]

That the claims are "alleged".

The thing is there are a LOT of alleged claims dealing with children. As many as 20% of children are investigated for some degree of sexual abuse. Going back at least 50 years. They are only starting to talk about it now. Some people claim it it high because of a high divorce rate. They say during a divorce there are a lot of accusations and when children are involved the authorities have to investigate.

Bill Clinton signed a law where the medical records have to be destroyed. When we go to a doctor we sign a piece of paper saying we are aware of that law. So we do not have a lot of the documented evidence that we would have otherwise had if he had not signed that law. Maybe he should have made it against the law to tamper with the medical investigations. It is understandable that Clinton that was accused of abusing so many women would sign a law that would cover up the medical investigation of that abuse.

We all know the situation. Mommy and daddy are getting a divorce and now the child has to decide if they want to live with daddy and his new wife or mommy and her new boyfriend. In the meantime the child is acting out in school and being disruptive so we are going to need to medicate the child to calm them down so that they are not disruptive in the classroom.

You can only hold a balloon under the water for so long. It is no wonder that people still have issues from their childhood to deal with. The good news is that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is not restricted by time and He can go back in time and deal with the issue. Of course people need to cry out to God and that is what they are starting to do. God is a God of all comfort and they can find comfort and rest from their distress if and when they seek Him.

 

[wing2000]

So you don't believe them?

The word "alleged" is normally used to described reported crimes that have not been proven in a court of law. I can say an event allegedly occurred and still believe the person reporting it.

 

[joshua 1 9]

he always got the parents' permission before dating a young girl

That creeps me out. No one should be playing with a 14 year old girl if they have permission or not.

 

[sfs]

Bill Clinton signed a law where the medical records have to be destroyed.

What law? What medical records?

 

[HannahT]

Yes, but the author goes on to say that within certain fundamentalists circles, girls were groomed....

"As a teenager, I attended a lecture on courtship by a home-school speaker who was popular at the time. He praised the idea of “early courtship” so the girl could be molded into the best possible helpmeet for her future husband. The girl’s father was expected to direct her education after the courtship began so she could help her future husband in his work.

In retrospect, I understand what the speaker was really describing: Adult men selecting and grooming girls who were too young to have life experience. Another word for that is “predation.”

That sounds like a Bill Gothard statement. He was exposed. Many within the IFB also seem to follow this, and they also have been exposed already. That's not to say many aren't still under the radar at times.

Mormons that practice polygamy tend towards this type of teaching as well.

Heck, there are many faith groups that have similar thinking outside Christianity.

Yet, this isn't mainstream.

 

[brinny]

The thing is there are a LOT of alleged claims dealing with children. As many as 20% of children are investigated for some degree of sexual abuse. Going back at least 50 years. They are only starting to talk about it now. Some people claim it it high because of a high divorce rate. They say during a divorce there are a lot of accusations and when children are involved the authorities have to investigate.

Bill Clinton signed a law where the medical records have to be destroyed. When we go to a doctor we sign a piece of paper saying we are aware of that law. So we do not have a lot of the documented evidence that we would have otherwise had if he had not signed that law. Maybe he should have made it against the law to tamper with the medical investigations. It is understandable that Clinton that was accused of abusing so many women would sign a law that would cover up the medical investigation of that abuse.

We all know the situation. Mommy and daddy are getting a divorce and now the child has to decide if they want to live with daddy and his new wife or mommy and her new boyfriend. In the meantime the child is acting out in school and being disruptive so we are going to need to medicate the child to calm them down so that they are not disruptive in the classroom.

You can only hold a balloon under the water for so long. It is no wonder that people still have issues from their childhood to deal with. The good news is that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He is not restricted by time and He can go back in time and deal with the issue. Of course people need to cry out to God and that is what they are starting to do. God is a God of all comfort and they can find comfort and rest from their distress if and when they seek Him.

It IS most interesting that Bill Clinton would sign such a thing.

 

[wing2000]

That sounds like a Bill Gothard statement. He was exposed. Many within the IFB also seem to follow this, and they also have been exposed already. That's not to say many aren't still under the radar at times.

Mormons that practice polygamy tend towards this type of teaching as well.

Heck, there are many faith groups that have similar thinking outside Christianity.

Yet, this isn't mainstream.

It certainly is a problem in the culture at large. However, this thread is focussed on the issue within Evangelical culture....

 

[Christie insb]

The word "alleged" is normally used to described reported crimes that have not been proven in a court of law. I can say an event allegedly occurred and still believe the person reporting it.

I know the meaning of the word. In journalism one would certainly use it if you were referring to someone accused but not convicted. But you would not repeat the word several times in each sentence.