Offensiveness

I have only one more big bone to pick in the ongoing Bill Gothard (BG) saga.  This is the "taking up offenses" bone.

In a publication separate from the big red book, BG laid out this philosophy on very flimsy evidence--really non-existent evidence, as far as Bible teaching is concerned.  His teaching went something like this:  God gives grace when people commit offenses against you.  But when people commit offenses against others, and you are also offended by the wrongdoing--well, that's when you're wrong for being offended, and you can be sure that God will not give you grace to deal with it.  It's very important not to take up offenses committed against others.

The record which is now being publicly established reveals that publication of this "insight" coincided with a time when BG was being called to account for some of his wrong actions toward others--particularly young girls who worked with and for him.  Following the teaching effectively shut down many voices that might otherwise have been raised in defense of those who were being violated.

Earlier I did not have the motivation or confidence--or forum perhaps--to say out loud what I was thinking about this.  I thought maybe it was courage, righteousness, and love that prompted people to take up the cause of someone who was being mistreated.  I could not see it as being virtuous to stand by silently while others suffered.

I don't have a well-developed defense for my thoughts--only that I feel comfortable in going back to what made sense to me all along--that part of pleasing God means agreeing with Him about what is grievous and what is inconsequential.  Especially when grievous wrong is being done to another, I'd far rather take the slight risk of overdoing the defense of the wronged person than committing the offense of ignoring the offense.  BG got this wrong, and I do not wish to perpetuate the wrong.