Tag: investigate

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News

U.S Department of Justice Investigating SBC Over Sexual Abuse Scandal

The United States Department of Justice has formally initiated an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of clergy sexual abuse, with the government likely setting the stage for a prolonged and expansive probe into the inner workings of the denomination.

The general counsel for the Executive Committee has confirmed that they’ve already received subpoenas from the government, but no specific person has been called to testify yet. In response to the news, entity heads have released a statement, saying they will fully comply with any investigations, writing in part:

Individually and collectively each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation. While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future. The fact that the SBC Executive Committee recently completed a fully transparent investigation is evidence of this commitment.

Commenting on the news in a series of Tweets, reporter Megan Basham suggested that the SBC brought this upon itself, despite the fact that the DOJ should have no interest in these matters:

What did SBC think would happen? If you give authoritarian administration opening to insert itself into largest Protestant denomination, home to voters who consistently vote for conservative policies, they’re going to take it.

And let’s be clear, there is NOTHING here that should interest DOJ. The “secret” list was all already public. This is purely admin taking advantage of the opening all the SBC leadership’s hyperbolic virtue signaling offered. 

Oh, and don’t forget there is now no attorney-client privilege in place! 🤦‍♀️ So anything the DOJ wants to make an inflate or twist, they’re going to be able to. What a dumpster fire. 

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Church Conspiracy Featured

RZIM Statement on Ravi Zacharias Allegations: ‘It’s Virtually Impossible to Investigate’

Several days after three of Ravi Zacharias old colleagues and employees, including his business partner and co-owner Anurag Shamra accused the renown, now deceased Christian Apologist of sexual harrasment at a Spa he co-owned, RZIM has released a statement on the incident, saying they believe the allegations to be false, and that it would be ‘virtually impossible’ to investigate them.

In a statement released to Protestia by Ruth Malhotra, Public Relations & Community Manager, RZIM commented:

We, the family and ministry teammates of Ravi Zacharias, can say that the accusations being made against Ravi do not comport in any way with the man we knew for 74 years, nor do we believe them to be true. These accusations pertain to businesses closed nearly a decade ago. While we would like to respond in more detail to these accusations, it is virtually impossible to do so at this time given these accusations were only made months after his death and were never raised during his 74-year life. 


While we appreciate receiving a statement, it doesn’t make much sense. Given that his accusers are still alive, including his business partner who has made the accusation, and in fact still lives in the same city as RZIM headquarters, it seems that the ability to investigate is not ‘virtually impossible’ but rather ‘imminently doable.’

RZIM could likewise easily interview and reach out to Steven Baughman, the one who has interviewed all three alleged victims. Furthermore, one of the alleged victims, while not wanting to have her name released publicly, said she would be willing to speak directly to Margie; Zacharias widow, about the incidents that she claims occurred.

Even if RZIM completely disbelieve the story, this is certainly more of a case that they don’t want to investigate, rather than they can’t.