About this episode
Sexual harassment and sexual assault of women have been the news again—most recently with the #MeToo hashtag and revelations about Harvey Weinstein and other well-known figures.
So many women experience sexual harassment and assault. How do those experiences affect us in our marriage? How can we heal and move forward?
This isn’t an easy subject to talk about or to listen to. Some of you may want to come back to this episode at another time.
- One of the powerful aspects of the #MeToo hashtag has been seeing how many women in our lives have these stories to share. Those of us around our virtual podcast table have stories as well. Ladies, would anyone like to share anything, even if it is just to say “me, too”?
- How do these experiences affect us in our marriages?
- As Christians, how can women address these difficult experiences? What does God’s Word say to us?
- How can we support other women in their healing?
Listen to the episode
From the Bible
What does God have to say about sexual harassment?
2 Samuel 13 – The Rape of Tamar
John 5:6 (in regards to healing from the aftermath), “When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”
Resources
Trapped by Trauma – The Forgiven Wife
Lessons Learned from Sexual Harassment – The Forgiven Wife
Why #metoo Matters – The Forgiven Wife
Your Wife Has Been Sexually Harrassed – Hot, Holy, & Humorous
Healing from Sexual Harassment (what to do after #metoo) – Bonny’s OysterBed7
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE, online.rainn.org y rainn.org/es) in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense. RAINN also carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, help survivors, and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
You ladies were so gentle and compassionate in the podcast. You showed a heart of love and not vengeful anger.
Another Biblical thought is that the mistreated need to speak up because what’s happening is sin and the offender needs to be dealt with. So many times our world only focuses on the victim and never addresses the real problem…dealing/teaching about the behavior that needs to stop. We need to also have the love of Christ toward the offender and making them deal with their sin, so we can actually stop it. Someone not long ago was upset about the Las Vegas shooting yet not willing to address the real problem was the lack of morality NOT being taught. Society today wants to reject God and make themselves a god.
God loves all, not wanting any to perish, so if we also looked on the offender as in need of Christ’s redeeming salvation, hate the sin, love the sinner, than maybe we’d heal both the source and the effect caused.
I hurt for both. If we caught/taught/disciplined the offender, the victim number would go down and society would be moral responsible again.