IFB Preacher Apologizes After Viral ‘I Wouldn’t Punish Rape’ Comments Spark Outrage
A week after Independent Fundamental Baptist Pastor Bobby Leonard of Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Monroe, North Carolina, was revealed making some genuinely horrific and anti-biblical comments about being a juror in a rape case, he has issued an apology, saying that he “failed to uphold the biblical values of love and compassion.”
During a sermon in August, Leonard lamented that so many young women were wearing shorts rather than pants or skirts and told his congregation, “If you dress like that and you get raped, and I’m on the jury, he’s going to go free” because “A man’s a man.”
It is harrowing, foolish, and utterly disqualifying theology, demonstrating that Leonard has no business being a pastor despite the decades he has served as one, as his view betrays a fundamental inability to handle the scriptures correctly in several key categories and topics. (And makes one wonder why nothing happened for months after preaching it)
After a national backlash as a result of the uncovering by Bad Preacher Clips (@badsermons), Leonard said he wished to “express my deep regret for the statements made from the pulpit” and was “only beginning to understand the hurt and offense caused.”
Describing his position (which he said he’s held for decades) as “foolish and sinful,” he shared his belief that rape is, in fact, heinous, inexcusable and should be “punished severely,” concluding, “I deserve for folks to be extremely upset with me, but I ask you to please forgive me.’
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I am a IF Baptist, and better yet, dare I say, a Christian.
I totally agree that this is a very unwise and downright wicked thing to say.
Whereas I definitely reckon that it is sinful for women to dress provocatively in public, still a rapist should absolutely be punished with a rope around his neck or a bullet in his head, no excuses for allowing the evil that is in us to own us, this would be sickening injustice.
We need to speak with GRACE and TRUTH.
Our God is a God of perfect mercy and perfect justice, we need to always uphold both these things even as they war with each other.
I also don’t know this Pastor and I don’t think its appropriate to suppose he should be ejected from the ministry for saying this. We can analyze and over-analyze just about any slip-up of theology, wording or practice and conclude that the one who slipped up is fundamentally flawed and irredeemable.
Maybe we should consider the servant who was forgiven much who could not forgive little?
Matt. 18:21-35
Let’s say Pastor Leonard got carried away, this is not a minor error, nevertheless knowing as little as I do I think it can be forgiven.
My prayer is that Independent Fundamental Baptists become known as distinct more for our adherence to pure doctrine and our love and sacrifice for others and for Christ than for what music we listen to or what standards we keep, even as we maintain those standards.
Peter can deny Christ three times and be forgiven, but as far as this website and their “staff writers” are concerned, forgiveness for sin and error has no place in modern Christianity. The only thing someone can do who has sinned is to grovel forever and never even think about serving the Lord again. ‘Protestia’ shares a lot in common with leftism in that regard.
How did I know, just from the headline, that this guy was probably IFB?
I’m an IFB and I certainly don’t know a IFB that would say something that stupid. Most if not all the men I know have wives, daughters, sisters etc.
Your comment isn’t defending a sexual crime but is equally as stupid.