The Bob Jones DisG.R.A.C.E. Report: Hope for Change if God Cooperates
G.R.A.C.E. stands for “godly response to abuse in the Christian environment.” GRACE is a mediatory organization funded by the institutional church that investigates sexual abuse within Christian environments such as churches, missionary societies, and universities.
Their investigative report process in all cases so far has been slower than mud sliding to the top of Mount Everest. In the case of Bob Jones University, the report will finally be released tomorrow as the Christian community awaits with bated breath. Gag.
I am not going to spend much time on this post because I prefer to let the dead bury their own dead in regard to all of this institutional church drama. GRACE, and their approach, is predicated on Protestant Gnosticism and will not help anyone or do anything towards solving this problem. Boz Tchividjian, the director of GRACE, believes a false gospel and is a blind man leading the blind.
Let me keep this post simple and short because I have written other articles that delve deeply into what the mystical Boz believes, and I will do so by focusing on the closing words of Steve Pettit who read a statement today in regard to the GRACE report. Pettit is the President of BJU. At the end of what he stated must happen as a result of the GRACE report which apparently informed BJU of what was going on in their own university, he said that what must happen will happen by, watch it, here it comes…”the grace of God.”
Right. You see, there is only one thing worse than rape: people bringing about change in their own efforts. The “godly response” must be grounded in what Jesus did, not anything we do. And note that this change comes about by the “grace” of God. Let me rephrase that to clear things up for you: “This will happen by the justification of God,” or “This will happen by the salvation of God,” or “This will happen by the gospel of God.”
They all believe the same thing: we are sanctified by the same gospel that saved us. And you know, this is really “hard work” because of our tendency to do things ourselves, or in our own efforts like you know, Penn State. Sure, they slam-dunked the problem, but God didn’t get any glory. We can’t have that! And as Pettit also stated, the “process” (there is still a process?) is going to take a really, really long time. Hopeful yet?
Apparently, God deliberately takes a long time to deal with these situations so that we will know it has nothing to do with anything we do, but what Jesus has done. That’s the “godly response.”
Now back to the Boz. Why is the mere reporting of all of this such a big deal? Pharisees like us are inclined to say, “A report, so what?” Well, how were you saved? “By faith and repentance.” There you go. The report is designed to elicit deep repentance which results in the manifestation of change brought about by God’s grace, not anything we do. That brings me to the final words of Boz in regard to his statement on the report:
As this historical process comes to an end [no kidding], we continue to pray that the words of this report will fuel hope and healing in the lives of many as well as bring about transformational changes in the life of Bob Jones University. To that end, we look forward to having a front row seat at watching God work.
Right. We only need the GRACE reports to show us how wicked we are, and how much we need God’s grace, then we sit back and watch “God work.” And you know, when it comes to rape God is in no big hurry to stop it lest we believe we did something in the process. If it takes a really, really long time, it must surely be of God.
And these guys are getting paid for this stuff with your hard earned tithe money. You may want to give that some thought.
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
This partucular quote taken from a larger quote I already posted seems to give the overall attutiude of GRACE in regards to what the victim’s response should be.
“Abuse victims will be underserved to the degree the impact of sexual abuse is misconstrued to be an issue of sinful heart attitudes that requires detection and repentance, rather than recognized as evidence of possible psychological trauma requiring skilled assessment. In such a case, the counseling needs of the abuse victim will likely be underestimated. Biblical knowledge rather than trauma expertise will be the primary criteria for counselor selection. Abuse victims will be ill-served to the degree that the misapplication of the “heart problem” tenet adds to their guilt, shame, and self-blame. This is likely if common psychological responses to sexual victimization such as sorrow, grief, and fear are mislabeled as deliberate sinful choices, rather than as pre-wired symptoms of soul injury. Viewing the psychological aftermath of abuse as primarily a spiritual problem also places the burden on victims to solve their problems through their own spiritual effort. Recalcitrant symptoms become the victim’s fault and responsibility.” ~pgs 76-77
In other words, they are acknowleging that it is further damaging to the victim to emphasize that the abused seek a “righteous response”
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As I read further along into this report, the theme that I am starting to see develop here is that of gross incompetence on the part of BJU, from both a counseling standpoint and an administrative standpoint. That seems to be the case they are driving at. Of course, this is merely the fruit of bad theology at the core. What else could be expected?
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The SAME theology shared by many on GRACE’s board. Someone may also take a stroll over and listen to Boz’s brother’s Liberation 2014 of which Paul David Tripp was one of the keynote speakers. Tripp is one of the forefathers of Heart Theology as articulated in “How People Change.” Tell me something folks, who would like to compare what the Boz is bashing to the following illustration:
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And further considering this theology in light of the “Subjective Power of an Objective Gospel,” consider this statement endorsed by Boz’s brother, Double T:
What, then, is the subjective power of this message? Firstly, we find that there is real, objective freedom, the kind that, yes, can be experienced subjectively. We are freed from having to worry about the legitimacy of experiences; our claims of self-improvement are no longer seen as a basis of our witness or faith. In other words, we are freed from ourselves, from the tumultuous ebb and flow of our inner lives and the outward circumstances; anyone in Christ will be saved despite those things. We can observe our own turmoil without identifying with it. We might even find that we have compassion for others who function similarly. These fluctuations, violent as they might be, do not ultimately define us. If anything, they tell us about our need for a savior (David Zahl and Jacob Smith: Mockingbird blog).
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Trust me, the irony and hypocrisy of all of this is not lost on me!
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I might also add, that the implication seems to be that they are not necessarily throwing away “heart theology” altogether. They only go so far as to say that it “might appear” to be inappropriate for dealing with sexual abuse due to the extreme nature of it. There is tacit implication that “heart theology” is still a valid teaching for dealing with all other counseling issues. While you and I recognize this as trying to have your cake and eat it too, I could easily see them using this excuse as a way around the hypocrisy.
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Oh, you can count on it.
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What do you want to bet that the Boz vetted the report with CCEF first.
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“Solicitor Walt Wilkins said today he will begin an investigation into the way Bob Jones University handled sexual abuse reports from students to see if state law was broken or obstruction of justice occurred.
“In addition, he hopes anyone who wants to prosecute abuse will contact his office.”
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2014/12/12/solicitor-walt-wilkins-will-launch-investigation-bju-abuse-response/20304235/
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This is another illustration of the feminization of society. I am a graduate of BJU and I have children at BJU today. When I was a student, the university did not tolerate self victimization. You came to the school knowing that it was very disciplined and structured. If you couldn’t handle it, you left or accepted the guidelines. I had a wonderful experience there and my children have as well. New Calvinism is very prominent at BJU though the majority of staff are still fundamental. My children have told me that some of their friends who claim to be New Calvinist are very strange and have peculiar sensitivities. New Calvinism is a victimization movement. Most come from broken or dysfunctional homes. This may not be true for all but based on my observation of friends in New Calvinism, it’s becoming more and more evident to me. New Calvinism makes God more feminine. Listen to any of the New Calvinist sermons and it’s touchy feely and narcissistic. This is not the God I worship, it’s an image a god that Satan has created and depraved man hungers for it and it satisfies his flesh and emotions.
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How is it an illustration of the feminization of the culture, Mike? Self victimization? Who? BJU?
On another note, why on earth would you send your children to an unaccredited college?
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Why would any parent send their kids to ANY Christian college? They aren’t going to learn anything except the traditions of men.
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