That is what truth claims are at their core. RAVI ZACHARIAS SEX SCANDAL - SUICIDE THREAT EMAILS. Ravi recently had an online affair with a married Canadian woman. These accusations paint the picture of a powerful man in a very authoritarian organization who’d clawed his way to the top and now intended to enjoy every bit of the power he’d amassed. Photo courtesy: Ravi Zacharias Facebook BreakPoint is a program of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Even then, as previously noted, they will probably reject it. They print tracts and apologetics material, then sell this stuff to confrontation-averse Christians to hand out to heathens. In this essay, he describes how excited he was, as a young, bright-eyed evangelical lad, to start working for RZIM. And if nothing is false, then it would also be true to say everything is false.”. The reason we address these issues isn’t to hurt the church’s testimony, but to demonstrate that the Christian Church, having a perfectly capable Savior, can confess our sins and be forgiven. However, one aspect of the story caught my eye. However, various misconduct allegations have trailed along in his wake for years. I just wish it bothered evangelicals at all that they can’t tell predators from prey, hypocrites from true-blue believers, and lies from truth. Hiding information that might paint a big-name evangelical as a sex abuser and predator? When she told him she wished to confess the affair to her husband he sent her the following emails. In 2016 I wrote an essay looking into Ravi Zacharias and his ministry for discernment purposes. Please consider becoming one of my monthly patrons via Patreon with Roll to Disbelieve for as little as $1/month! The new revelations concerning Ravi Zacharias have shocked much of the evangelical world, but they’re no surprise to Steve Baughman. And Jesus doesn’t seem to be interested at all in warning the flocks about these predators in their churches. If indeed “post-truth” is the new word of the year in our postmodern lexicon, we might well say that it all depends on what “is” means. What greater opportunity to express the glory of God?”, Zacharias was a staunch defender the exclusivity of truth. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Rather than complain that there is only one way, shouldn’t we be delighted that there is one way? It’d be even easier if they can mimic the cadence of evangelical speech and use Christianese jargon. Everything cannot be true. That answer got her even more snippy at me. Ravi Zacharias died this past May of a fast-acting, malignant cancer. If it tallies up with their current beliefs, it must be true. ), Come join us on Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter! I sense a hint of plausible deniability going on here, too. Zacharias was the author of more than 30 books on Christianity, including the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Gold … Truth Two: It’s painfully easy for predators to trick evangelicals into thinking they’re sincere and following the rules. She even volunteered in church (choir, Sunday School) and married an aspiring preacher! How Ravi Zacharias Got Away With Sex Abuse for YEARS. The accusers had worked at these spas. In his article ‘Think Again – Asking Deep Questions’, Ravi explains why apologetics today is so important – because it zeroes in on helping the questioner discover what is true: “The field of apologetics deals with the hard questions posed to the Christian faith. I was able to go to Pompeii in 2008, which doesn't feel ...", "I laugh now that when fundy and we visited Pompeii, which was stunning of course, ...", "I did some supervised archaeology when I was a kid. The stone simply reads, ‘Lazarus, four days dead, friend of Christ.’, Zacharias turned to Ramsden and said if he was remembered as ‘a friend of Christ, that would be all I want.’”, One of the greatest attractions people had toward Ravi, whether they were believers or not, was how he presented his defense of Jesus Christ and the Christian worldview with the motto of ‘Apologetics with a Touch’: “We are to be neighbors to our world, reaching not only the mind, but caring for the heart and the physical needs of the body as well. I guarantee it. To make an assertion is to deny its opposite. Also, send me the Nonreligious Newsletter and special offers. Book 3 – The Reliability of the Bible, The Person of Jesus Christ, Awakening to a Biblical Worldview – Be Intentional in Bible Study with Jesus Christ. (Photo : Ravi Zacharias/Facebook) Following the report of late apologist Ravi Zacharias' sexual misconduct, Christian leaders all across the nation reacted with horror, dismay, and disappointment. 304 SW Persels Rd <3. Please see my most recent video, The Case Against Ravi Zacharias for more details. Our faith in Christ is reasonably grounded and experientially sustained. Church and ministry leadership resources to better equip, train and provide ideas for today's church and ministry leaders, like you. Regarding RZIM: The first time I ever heard of RZIM was on the comment section of a Christian post years ago, maybe 2012 or 2013. She lives with an adored and adoring husband named Mr. Captain and a sweet, squawky orange tabby cat named Princess Bother Pretty Toes. Only in the Judeo-Christian worldview does this sequence find its total expression and answer. (RZIM still trucks along. As a result, it is completely, utterly, and in every single way impossible for evangelicals to tell a hypocritical predator from a sincere, decent-hearted TRUE CHRISTIAN™. Two other Zacharias family members—Naomi’s husband at the time, Robert “Drew” McNeil, and Ravi’s son, Nathan Zacharias—were paid another $155,000. Where there is sin, there is the need for a Savior. In addition to his earnings from book royalties, Ravi Zacharias’ salary from Ravi Zachrias International Ministries (RZIM) approached nearly $200,000 per year. It takes a lot to pierce through their illusions. Yes indeed, the rumors about their deceased Dear Leader are true. Ravi Zacharias (1946—2020) was an Indian born Canadian American Christian apologist, speaker, and writer who founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Truth One: Evangelicals protect their own. Only God knows how many tens-of-thousands of people will spend eternity burning in Hell, because apostate ministers like Ravi Zacharias refused to tell them the whole truth that human effort plus partial faith in Christ is a false plan of salvation that leads to damnation in Hell. It also means punishing and silencing their accusers by any means possible. Learn how your comment data is processed. In his video, Baughman also referenced a Christian leader with whom he had […] RZIM and his family responded to those accusations in a predictable way: They insisted all of the accusations just had to be false. Like all apologetics businesses, they exist more for current Christians than anybody else. They clearly hope that nobody will blame them for anything they’ve done (or more to the point, failed to do). In his new statement, Baughman provided serious allegations that Mr. Zacharias exploited women for his sexual gratification in a spa that he operated. [. . The question really is, how do we really know this is the truth?” He then explains how the Christian worldview gives an answer. This is a great sorrow, at many levels. The couple had three children, Sarah, Nathan and Naomi. Thus, anybody can act like a true-blue evangelical in their presence and be taken for the real deal. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. At the end of his obituary is how he asked to be remembered: “In 2018, Zacharias told the story of standing with his successor (Michael Ramsden) in front of Lazarus’s grave in Cyprus. Ravi Zacharias is on his deathbed [editor note: this post was written two days before Ravi Zacharias’ death], but his lies continue to surface. He painted his accuser as a fan who’d gotten totally obsessed with him, though he did sorrowfully confess to entering into a long private text conversation with her. We can still thank God for how His truth changed our lives, despite the hypocrisy of the one who preached it. The Trust is a UK registered charity whose aim is to engage with people’s heartfelt questions about the Christian faith and explain the hope that the Gospel brings. .] When submitted to these tests, the Christian message is utterly unique and meets the demand for truth. This misconduct is deeply troubling and wholly inconsistent with the man Ravi Zacharias presented both publicly and privately to so many over more than four decades of public ministry. Cuz there are a lot more Ravi Zachariases in their ranks. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. He started a business ministry called RZIM, or Ravi Zacharias International Ministry. Warning: This report contains graphic accusations about sexual activity. Ravi Zacharias (26 March 1946 – 19 May 2020) was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist who founded the RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministry). Many of the facts have come from the victims themselves and have been verified by looking at Ravi’s own smart phones, which … Lewis Institute, Ravi Zacharias sent the following statement to me: “I am thankful for the opportunities I have had throughout my life to pursue an education from a broad range of outstanding institutions. He surely didn’t need the money. I always bear in mind that behind every question is a questioner. - Ravi Zacharias quotes from BrainyQuote.com "Truth that is not undergirded by love makes the truth obnoxious and the possessor of it repulsive." The report is out, and it is devastating. However, he didn’t investigate the matter in 2017, much less piece together his idol’s wrongdoing and self-serving dishonesty. Ravi Zacharias — American Author Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias is an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian apologist. Even now, his family and close associates seem completely gobsmacked, just utterly mystified that the Ravi Zacharias they knew could possibly have done such terrible things. In his book ‘The Logic of God’, he explained it like this: “Truth by definition is exclusive. Lees Summit, MO 64081 Margaret Reynolds was Ravi Zacharias' wife of 48 years. My PayPal is captain_cassidy@yahoo.com (that’s an underscore in there) for one-time tips. In my previous blog, “In the Wake of Ravi Zacharias’s Sexual Abuse of Women,” I quoted from the detailed investigative report from a law firm which was commissioned by Ravi Zacharias International Ministry. Along with those allegations, they also reported on a sex-abuse accusation against him. Nor does he care about protecting the sheep from them. Ravi Zacharias is a renowned Christian scholar and author, and founder of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. BreakPoint commentaries offer incisive content people can't find anywhere else; content that cuts through the fog of relativism and the news cycle with truth … May 31, 2020 Truth Ed Croteau. Indeed, recently Ravi Zacharias’ ministry/business told donors the news. This blog exists because of readers’ support, and I appreciate every single bit of it. What was Ravi Zacharias thinking? But when it comes to evaluating the behavior of their tribemates and leaders, they’re even worse off. Introducing Episode 2 of #TheSaturdaySession: Each Saturday, one of our speakers will offer an extended message of reflection, timeless truth for a time of caution and confusion. A look at human history shows why he was who he claimed to be and why millions follow him today. Zacharias died on May 19 at 74 following a battle with cancer. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ravi Zacharias is a noted apologist who is famous worldwide for defending theism and Christianity. That was 25 years ago. Who’s even surprised these days when a big-name evangelical leader turns out to be a sex abuser? For decades, he sexually abused a number of women. They said for years, he’d come in, expose himself to the workers, and fondle himself in front of them. Evangelicals’ shows of piety all consist of performative and transactional behaviors. [Source]. Also, send me the Nonreligious Newsletter. Post-truth as a phenomenon is not new. - Ravi Zacharias When Ravi Zacharias filed the lawsuit against his 2017 accuser, he communicated with his business ministry in ways that characterized her behavior as “Satanic attacks.” As a worker for that business ministry, Carson Weitnauer completely accepted this characterization. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! It’s hard to imagine him holding back in other countries if he couldn’t keep his hands to himself in North America. Ravi is living this right now, and would agree with what CS Lewis once concluded: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”. Ravi Zacharias on Truth and the Meaning of Life. They tell a story of a man who was so powerful that he knew he could bat away any allegations against him just through the sheer force of his reputation and network of protective fellow leaders. Today, let me show you exactly how evangelical leaders like Ravi Zacharias get away with heinous abuse. Hooray Team Jesus! in the category "theology and doctrine" and bestsellers Light in the Shadow … The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, RZIM (Ravi Zacharias' Evangelism Business), The Pimpmobile Chariot Discovered at Pompeii ...", Marjorie Taylor Greene Pushes Anti-Witchcraft Law, The Pimpmobile Chariot Discovered at Pompeii (LSP #181), Madison Cawthorn, Sex Abuser: Evangelicals' Latest Hypocritical Mascot. There’s more, and it is all really awful. Leaders alike protect each other and can be reliably expected to value their organizations/churches/ministries/businesses’ interests far above the safety of those leaders’ flocks and employees. Then, Weitnauer writes, the new 2020 accusations came out against his onetime idol. (Also Instagram, where I mostly post cat pictures.). Evangelicals have no way whatsoever to figure out the actual truth about anything related to their religious beliefs. While I believe most of my colleagues are not only talented but earnestly committed to serving God, we have been badly misled by our secretive board and senior leaders. If true, it revealed that his RICO lawsuit was a malicious attempt to bully his victim into silence, and that Ravi had perjured himself in the effort. RZIM expects to release the investigation’s findings in the next month or two. Captain Cassidy grew up fervently Catholic, converted to the SBC in her teens, and became a Pentecostal shortly afterward. At any given time, she's running out of bookcase space. Where there is the possibility of love, there must be the reality of free will. That “secretive” word he used doesn’t surprise me either. Also please check out our Graceful Atheist podcast interview! Get updates from Roll to Disbelieve delivered straight to your inbox. The 2015 form 990 also states that RZIM provided a “housing allowance or residence for personal use” to Ravi and Margie Zacharias. Now unmasked as a uniquely charismatic manipulator, his deceptions were altogether convincing. Two days before Christmas, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries confirmed that its founder had engaged in sexual misconduct over the course of many years. Many have described the report as “shocking.” But as someone who has spent 16 years watching … Danielle DuRant is the research assistant to Ravi Zacharias and serves as the editor and a featured writer for the RZIM publication Just Thinking. By Ravi Zacharias. Two years ago, Steve published an exposé on Ravi, revealing a pattern of sexual misconduct and deception by the famous apologist and those around him.Yet few paid any attention. To top off the dumpster fire of 2020 comes a story that is also not even really news anymore: a big-name evangelical leader turned out to be a prolific sex abuser. (See endnote.)). This time, their tone sounds very different: Sadly, the interim investigation update indicates this assessment of Ravi’s behavior to be true—that he did indeed engage in sexual misconduct. He spent forty-eight years defending Christianity as the only way to address life's great existential questions. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. ( Log Out /  Neither their leader’s predatory behavior nor RZIM’s reaction surprises me in the least. Nor did any evangelicals that I know of. The Evidence of Faith’s Substance – Article #399. As mentioned, a few months after the death of Ravi Zacharias, more accusations surfaced from the spa employees. These allegations were never made during Ravi’s lifetime, but were first presented to a third party more than three months after his death.”. In response to my request for a comment about his false claim to be a professor at Oxford (see this post for video) in a speech to the C.S. I doubt we’ve heard the last accusations, either. But even the flocks themselves tend to protect their own leaders — and that means ignoring or downplaying any accusations against them. (Back to the post! Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Abundant Life Church Hi and welcome back! I phrased it that way because even though the Bible calls us all to be Bereans (Acts 17:11) and search for truth and confirmation, and that doing so is ‘noble’, looking into the doctrine or … In 2017, Christianity Today reported on various academic and credentialing claims Ravi Zacharias made that aren’t true. It is a shock for anyone who loved and admired Ravi Zacharias to accept the news that he was a sexual predator. Please also opt me in for Exclusive Offers from Patheos’s Partners. Some sexting grossness? Hilaria Baldwin: Yet Another White Person Faking Her Ethnicity (LSP #172), "Archaeology is fascinating. Evangelical Self-Awareness and Trump's Literal Golden Calf Idol... Christians' Narrative Around Deconversion Isn't Helping Them, Leviticus and Homosexuality - Part 11: Bad Guidelines. So these accusations just didn’t fit their image of the great apologist and weren’t made the way the tribe likes best, so they rejected them. I don’t think very many fans of Ravi Zacharias did. Zacharias committed the alleged abuses to a large and yet unknown number of women over the course of more than a decade, the 12-page report by Ravi Zacharias International Ministries said. Carson Weitnauer almost experienced it himself, as he writes: Yet the day after I asked her [Ravi Zacharias’ daughter, one of RZIM’s leaders] a series of questions about the non-disclosure agreement between the Thompsons and the Zacharias estate, two senior leaders challenged me on the propriety of my questions. In its initial “interim” report RZIM leadership not only confirmed the allegations but promised a full and thorough final report. Carson Weitnauer wrote a post on Reasons for God titled: A Catastrophic Betrayal: The “Greatest Apologist” was the Greatest Fraud. I titled it, “On Discerning Ravi Zacharias: It’s time to say what needs to be said“. Frank Turek (February-22-2021) The Ravi Zacharias scandal and the truth of Christianity. More humbling and embarrassing was the realization that the public evidence was sufficient for me to have pieced together the truth in 2017. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! A defender of traditional evangelicalism, Zacharias is the author of numerous Christian books, including the Gold Medallion Book Award winner Can Man Live Without God? Ravi Zacharias traveled a lot for business. Everyone has a worldview, which offers answers to four necessary questions: 1) origin, 2) meaning, 3) morality, and 4) destiny. not to question any excuses, claims, and testimonies they hear, Yes, I want the Patheos Nonreligious Newsletter as well, Identity Politics vs. Transactional Politics. I told her that motivated reasoning might be going on in her thinking, since her employers made their living selling the things. During his lifetime, many evangelicals regarded him as a great apologist. Thank you. He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than 40 years. Zacharias easily evaded that one. Update: Since the death of Ravi Zacharias, additional details of wrongdoing and further allegations have been made public, casting serious doubts upon his credibility and fidelity. Ravi, a highly regarded speaker, author, and apologist, died a few months ago. Even a true-blue follower who even questions a powerful leader can expect the full retaliatory brunt of the tribe’s rage. Ravi Zacharias died this past May of a fast-acting, malignant cancer. Another of his employees, a man working for RZIM, offers us the same picture painted from a different angle. In fact, none except Jesus even claimed to be the divine Savior. Ravi, with RC Sproul and CS Lewis, is now living in reality with Christ. Ravi Zacharias Quote of the day Any writer, I suppose, feels that the world into which he was born is nothing less than a conspiracy against the cultivation of his talent. If you like what you see, I gratefully welcome your support. We are discomfited by the fact that truth, by definition, is exclusive. The verification of what Jesus taught and did make belief in Him a very rationally tenable and existentially fulfilling reality. John 11:11 “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” World-renown apologist and founder of RZIM Ministries Ravi Zacharias died this week of cancer at age 74. A few months after the death of Ravi Zacharias, three women came forward to accuse him of long-term sexual harassment. The only way evangelicals can ever tell someone’s faking is if ultra-strong, ultra-conclusive evidence comes out contradicting their image of that person. Oh, that represented the very least of his offenses. A comparison of Jesus’s teachings with any other claimant to divine or prophetic status quickly shows the profound differences in their claims and demonstrations. 639 quotes from Ravi Zacharias: 'Love is a commitment that will be tested in the most vulnerable areas of spirituality, a commitment that will force you to make some very difficult choices. “These allegations pertain to businesses that were closed nearly a decade ago. Frank comments on Ravi’s unconscionable behavior and addresses several questions. ( Log Out /  In turn, these answers must be correspondingly true on particular questions and, as a whole, all answers put together must be coherent. The RZIM Zacharias Trust is part of a global organisation with a vision to help the thinker believe and the believer think. Change ). Going a step further, the three tests for truth must be applied to any worldview: 1) logical consistency, 2) empirical adequacy, and 3) experiential relevance. Ravi Zacharias must have been so relieved to close that chapter of his life. Their reasoning: none of these accusations seemed in-character for the great apologist they knew and loved. That’d be the very least I’d expect of evangelical leaders. I position the sequence of fact and deduction this way: Love is the supreme ethic. On this episode of The Roys Report, Julie … This one from yesterday, with hard evidence. Having had deep questions myself, I listen carefully to the questions raised. He also filed an extortion lawsuit against the accuser, made her sign a non-disclosure agreement that silenced her for good, and acted like he was being totally persecuted by Satan himself for being soooooo Jesus-y. I am convinced Jesus Christ alone answers the deepest questions of our hearts and minds.”. They’ve all been trained to protect their leaders above even themselves, and they’ve also been trained not to question any excuses, claims, and testimonies they hear. NEXT UP: The lessons authoritarians learn about kindness. Other employees claimed he touched and groped them without their permission. New, graphic accusations of sexual misconduct have emerged against recently deceased Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, who died in May after decades as a globally renowned Christian speaker and writer.. Christianity Today reported the new accusations in which several women who provided … From cosmology to history to human experience, the Christian faith presents explanatory power in a way no other worldview does. Ravi has not denied that these are his emails. Some lady who worked for RZIM in some capacity got very snippy at me in response. ( Log Out /  The other day, I posted “New Allegations that Ravi Zacharias engaged in Sexually Predatory Behavior” courtesy of Steve Baughman. Consider the empirical test of the person, teaching, and work of Jesus Christ. However, they made an interim statement on December 23rd on their official website. Just as postmodern is neither post nor modern but existed in … I asserted there that tracts are a hopelessly inefficient recruitment tool that exist more to fleece existing Christians than to recruit new ones. It wasn’t until this year that he realized the truth: As I studied this information carefully — again and again and again — it slowly dawned on me that Ravi had personally and repeatedly lied to me and others in the ministry about his relationship with [Lori Anne Thompson, the 2017 accuser]. Evangelicals just adore Ravi Zacharias. This exchange with a hypocrite was literally the first time I’d ever heard of RZIM — and it’d be a while still before I found out what the “RZ” part of the name even meant. In his autobiography Ravi claims that he was chosen to preach at his graduation from the Ontario Bible College in April of 1972. However, RZIM hired someone to conduct an “independent external investigation” of the accusations. Where there is a Savior, there is the hope for redemption. She thought tracts were super-duper useful and powerful. Religion News brought us their official statement in September: “We, the family and ministry teammates of the late Ravi Zacharias, can say the allegations now being made against Ravi do not in any way comport with the man we knew for decades—we believe them to be false,” the statement said. The convergence of intellectual and existential struggles drives a person to a brutal honesty in the questions they have.
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