Letter to the Editor
Submitted by Hannah Stafford
On Sept. 16, America erupted at the news that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault by Christine Blasey Ford. The spew of opinionated headlines and emotional speeches only increased days later when two other women, Deborah Ramirez and Julie Swetnick, also stepped forward with similar stories. As every blogger, next-door neighbor and social justice activist began to form the lines of their political gauntlets, the righteous hashtags began to emerge. The right wing began waving its flag of #StandWithKavanaugh while the left was soon trending #BelieveWomen. While I do have my personal opinions on which side of the story should be trusted, that is not the point of this article. This will not be an argument for what conservatives, progressives, feminists or traditionalists should believe — this article is for Christians.
Christians are called to be set apart from the world (Romans 12:2), and while some choose to be ruled by emotions, we are told that the heart is not to be trusted (Jeremiah 17:9). While secular culture runs wild with reckless social media debates, we are told to carefully consider every thought before we share it (II Corinthians 2:5), and when political platforms tell us to #StandWithMen or #BelieveWomen, we should instead be pursuing and believing truth.
Scripture tells us that truth is vital to the Christian life (Exodus 20:14, Ephesians 6:14, I John 3:18) and that Christ was and is the embodiment of truth itself (John 1:14, John 4:24, James 1:18). When we choose to blanket ourselves under battle cries such as #BelieveWomen, we are saying that women should be believed whether or not what they’re claiming is true. Simply because they’re women, they deserve our loyalty. As a woman, I find it highly insulting that society is once again defining me purely by my sex. #BelieveWomen is saying that my biology, not my character, is the ultimate determinant of my trustworthiness. I don’t have to be held to a moral code or standard of justice simply because I’m a woman. To a broken world seeking to rationalize its sinful nature, this may seem like a worthy defense. But to truth-seeking Christians, it is a cheap excuse for lazily defaulting to social trends. The same goes for those who are quick to decry “feminazis” every time a woman speaks. As can be evidenced by movements such as #MeToo, our culture is far too often guilty of disregarding women’s stories. Women are blamed for not speaking sooner or simply told that “boys will be boys.” While my personal experiences cannot compare to the pain and trauma of sexual assault, I have had a small taste of this injustice in my life and do not deny that a chasm does exist. Still, I don’t think that #BelieveWomen is the answer.
The truth is, not all women deserve blind belief. And equally so, not all men deserve a standing ovation. We should examine men and women individually, as the unique fingerprints of God that they are, not as mindless masses confined to stereotypes.
You may choose to believe Ford, Ramirez or Swetnick’s stories, or you may choose to believe Kavanaugh. Frankly, your interpretation of the facts really doesn’t really matter. I highly doubt that either the Senate or Supreme Court will consult your Twitter feed before making their decision. I encourage you to research facts, nonetheless, and resign the ignorant hashtags and mantras because your attitudes, interactions and states of heart and mind do matter. Don’t let yourself become enslaved to the social expectations of what you should believe. Pursue truth, and the truth will set you free.
