Internet Hack Uncovers That the Church is Not Exempt from Infidelity
It is estimated that 400 church leaders, pastors, elders, and staff stepped down from ministry due to infidelity this past Sunday. Three weeks ago, a team of hackers unleashed an information dump of 30+ million names registered on Ashley Madison, a website facilitating extramarital affairs. Among the 30+ million names released were the names of several prominent Christian figures, including Josh Duggar from the reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting.
This information leak shows that even the Church is not safe from the lure of adultery. As leader after leader resigns, Christians (and non-Christians) have started to wonder: How does this happen to men and women of God?
The same reason it happens to anybody: “Ultimately, the root cause of adultery is the spiritual and emotional immaturity of marriage partners who become unwilling to keep their personal commitment to their marriage,” says June Hunt, author, biblical counselor, and host of the award-winning radio program Hope for the Heart, which is heard on over 900 radio outlets worldwide.
Now that these names have been released to the public, churches nationwide have been asking, “My pastor is on the Ashley Madison list, what do I do?” As Christians try to pick up the pieces of shattered expectations, they are desperate to find answers for a topic previously “too taboo” to talk about in church.
“Don’t minimize or deny the seriousness of the situation,” advises Hunt. “Be willing to see the sin for what it is…” Whether you are addressing the situation from the pulpit or opening up healthy discussions with your Bible study group in your living room, affirm that God calls for us to “respond supernaturally, to forgive and allow God to administer justice.” Some of the steps toward restoration that Hunt offers include prayer for guidance, confronting suspicions, expressing emotions nondestructively, and choosing forgiveness.
(Source: Christian Newswire)
