The newspaper headlines speak of two more alleged rapes...two more victims whose lives are forever changed, 'allegedly'...who will remain guilty of asserting and professing being raped by this young man, while he remains innocent, until they prove him guilty.
He a promising athlete, from a family within the FALC, who allegedly raped these two women...his two worlds don't match, or do they?
Is it possible that his model of power has been completely skewed and these woman are just outlets for him to gain power?
Andrew Vachss wrote that Rape is a method of enforcing domination and a program to enslave the vulnerable. He wasn't picking on someone his own size or gender, but on those who are weaker than he...
Knowing that rape isn't about sex, but it is about power, you have to look at his power models.
Looking upon the power structure within the church and within families of this church, it is not hard to see how skewed this model is.
You have leaders/preachers/elders/parents who also dominate the vulnerable, who enslave their minds, bodies and actions by how they dictate their lives.
I know many will believe I have gone beneath the deep end now, but if rape is about power and not sex, then where did he learn this behavior, that being a powerful man is to dominate, enslave and force others?
Who were his male role models and how did they act towards women or those much more vulnerable than them? How are the women and children treated in this religion?
If you look upon how children (vulnerable) are dominated by the beliefs of their parents to the point of being shunned if they don't capitulate, it is not a stretch to see his model. They (children) give up their bodies and lives in order to fit into their parents religion, until they are powerless and the parents and church powerful.
I see his behavior as completely making sense coming from whence he came.
It would be more shocking to not have these young men acting out than it is to have them overpowering the weak to gain power.
When we focus on the sexual act with rape, we lose the core purpose or tool of rape; power.
Unless and until you have experienced the powerless feelings of the church, you can't imagine how little self power you have. And, when you see how powerful the men are in how they control our bodies and lives, you will see that the volume of sexual assualts within the church match the models of power vs powerless.
Even the woman I spoke to of the Old Apostolic Lutheran Church, wondered how come there was so much sexual abuse....she and other women of the church pondered this, as they stand in dresses, grey hair, bearing baby upon baby, voiceless and choiceless....powerless. And, they wonder about the power assaults upon them...as they stand powerless.
Do the men of the church ponder this 'problem' of assaults? Are the board members and preachers huddling and collectively trying to figure out how to stop this massive bleeding of innocent lives?
Do you hear the men of these churches fighting to give power to their children and wives? Do you see them fighting for equal rights and self expression? Are there commitees formed for self empowerment? Are there classes beyond Bible class...such as ways to get out of abusive relationships and families?
Am I the only one who is not shocked by the sheer numbers of abusers, but horrified and completely overwhelmed, by how many victims EACH of these men have dominated by using sex for power?
I see too much....
I see the perfect environment for evil to flourish...
I see apathy and denial and defense towards a church of high morals and high values...while their children are in the headlines for allegedly raping.
Will I see women start to rise and cry out for such horrific treatment of those two young women?
When will the women of these churches start to get restless? What will it take to make them rise? How can you see your son and brother and friend act out this way and not question, something?
The headline affirmed what I know and have been writing about endlessly; abuse and the FALC.
