Justice for the Victim

 

True victimhood is being hijacked. Some claim that every woman is the victim of every man or every person of color is the victim of every white person.

While I understood the “Me too” movement, drawing attention to how many girls are molested as children, it was hard to know how realistic the numbers were.  How many were true victims finally willing to speak out and how many embraced a false victimhood in order to gain sympathy and borrowed virtue?  We don’t know but the obvious fiction of many “victimhood” stories has cast a shadow.

In contrast, there are many true victims of violence or sexual assault who don’t speak up when the offense happens. In some way our culture has sent them a clear notice that victims of these are to remain silent or they are the ones who will be shamed and vilified for the acts against them.

Why do our daughters and sons not tell someone when they are assaulted? Do they believe that they are at fault? Is rampant false victimology inhibiting their reporting? Deuteronomy 22 teaches that a young woman is to “cry out” if “a young man finds her and lies with her” (Deuteronomy 22:23-24).  Are we teaching our children to “cry out” if they are approached or assaulted by someone (See Ephesians 5:11)? Do we look for or ignore signs that abuse has occurred?

Years ago I learned of a man who had been a good kid until one day he took a chef’s knife to the edge of a brand new counter in his parent’s kitchen. He was severely punished but no one thought to ask, “What happened to him?” He had been being sexually abused by an Aunt. That truth did not come out for years.

There are five responses we need to teach the next generation in order to see them respond appropriately to almost any issue regarding abuse. These responses are:

  • Truth
  • Justice
  • Responsibility
  • Forgiveness
  • Thanksgiving

In brief, we need to know the truth, both about what has happened and what God’s Law says about it in order to get justice. Justice is only accomplished when the truth is revealed (Ephesians 5:11) and the law applied. It’s important for  victims to know that their abuser has been justly punished.

It is the responsibility of the victim to speak up and trust that the Lord will use truth to vindicate them and reveal the truth to others who can help. This should also protect possible future victims from an assault. There is little chance for a victim to see justice if the truth is not spoken.

Then, for their own good, the victim must forgive the aggressor. This is not necessarily reconciliation unless there is true repentance and the victim is convinced they would be safe with the person. That may take time to see.

Lastly, a victim is to be thankful that the Lord has sustained her, that He has provided the ability for her to “cry out” to get help, and be thankful for His compassion and love for His children. Each individual will find more for which to be thankful.

Sadly, man’s ways often leave us disappointed and feeling like our “crying out” was (or may be) wasted. It falls on deaf ears or, the way the victim cries out is sinful (like taking a knife to a counter), and she is the one punished.

We can rest assured that our God has seen what happened. He has heard our cry. And, He will exact eternal justice, regardless of what we see.

His Word is true:                                                                                               God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day.  Psalm 7:11

For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. Psalm 37:28

The LORD executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. Psalm 103:6

1 Comment

  1. Harry Neely on October 18, 2024 at 5:54 pm

    Beth,

    God has assigned His people to be “soldiers for Jesus Christ” as well as “Ambassadors for King Jesus to the pagan nations.

    As you know, from time to time, I comment on your well-written posts. As a soldier for Jesus Christ, I know one of my jobs as a soldier is to gather intelligence about the enemy’s movements, strategies, and methods to overcome the soldiers warring for King Jesus.

    The problem today is that most of God’s people are unaware of how the secular enemy works to defeat God’s people. For some reason, God has given me some ability to figure out some of the ways the enemy is tricking God’s people into voluntarily submitting themselves to the dominion or absolute control of a secular humanistic form of government in consideration for the protection that the civil government supposedly provides for “its” citizens. This presents a dilemma for God’s people since “protection” draws with it “subjection.” Citizens owe their absolute allegiance, fidelity, and obedience to the civil government of the secular political community when they ought to owe their allegiance to King Jesus. No one can serve two sovereigns.
    .
    Why do I take the time to comment on your posts when I know you will never allow anything I write to be published on your Blog?

    I do so because God has led me to discover some of the ways we are being deceived due to our ignorance of how the legal system works. We spend most of our time in the Law Word of God, which is good. However, we hardly ever spend any time trying to comprehend how the secular system of government works.

    God has recently stirred me up to simply share some of the intelligence I have gathered that sheds some light as to how the secular humanistic form of government works and how we have been tricked into voluntarily becoming a subject member of the secular body politic without knowing we no longer can exercise our Creator-given right to life, liberty, and property.

    So here we go.

    Beth, please google 42 U.S. Code, Section 1982 – Property Rights of citizens where you will read the following:

    “All CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES shall have the SAME right, in every State [of the Union] and every Territory, as is enjoyed by WHITE CITIZENS thereof to inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property.” (R.S. Sec. 1978)

    QUESTIONS:

    1 – How many classes of citizens are mentioned in this section of the US Code?

    2_ Are you an Amendment 14 CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES “IN” Pennsylvania, one of the States of the Union?

    3. Or, are you a WHITE CITIZEN in Pennsylvania, one of the States of the Union?.

    4. What does the Law Word of God have to say about where God’s people have their citizenship?

    5. What does the Law Word of God have to say about where God’s people STAND in their relationship with the other unregenerate unbelieving citizens/members of the secular political community or body politic?

    6. Are God’s people citizens of the United States (federal citizens) or are they “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God?

    7 – Beth, do you know how the term “Fourteenth Amendment” is defined in Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th. Edition?

    Fourteenth Amendment – The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1868, CREATES or at least RECOGNIZES for the FIRST TIME a citizenship of the United States [federal government], as distinct from that of the states …”

    Federal citizenship – Right and obligations ACCRUING by reason of being a citizen of the United States. — A person born or naturaoi9zed in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof is a citizen of the United States and of the State wherein he resides. 14th Amend, U.S. Const.

    Beth, rights that are “accruing” are not the same as “rights vested.”

    Citizenship and domicile are matters of individual choice, not a matter of where one was born or is living at the time. God’s people do not “reside” because we are sojourning strangers seeking a better heavenly country where our Father has prepared a place (domicile) for us in a city whose foundation and makers is God. We owe our allegiance, fidelity, and obedience to God in King Jesus. We cannot owe allegiance to two sovereigns. To attempt to do so would be evidence of a double-minded man or woman.

    God’s people cannot be compelled to accept the grant or gift of Amendment 14 federal citizenship against his will and we know that the civil government recognizes the difference between a Citizen of a State and a second-class citizen of the United States.

    Also for kicks and giggles google the location of the United States in the Uniform Commercial Code.

    I have 25 years of digging into the bone pile of American history and the Roman civil Law system in place in the United States to share with God’s people at no cost but the truth sometimes is stranger than fiction.. I will continue to pray for you and the others at the Lancaster Patriot.

    Please give the above information some prayerful thought.

    Peace,

    by: Harry-James – Ambassador for Jesus Christ to the pagan nations