01/02/2026
THE CHURCH’S HABIT OF MAKING IDOLS
Whether it’s something genetic or a deeply ingrained cultural habit, the churches seem perpetually incapable of understanding the true nature of sexual misconduct by pastors.
Philip Yancey is just another ugly example.
The discussion is completely misplaced. People ask whether his books can still be read. Others say, “David sinned too.” Or insist that one’s writing should be separated from one’s private life. Really? If you were writing physics, I’d have no objection. But you write about how people should live. Do you honestly expect me to believe your moral guidance is still trustworthy or workable?
An eight-year affair, confessed at the age of 76 — is this repentance, or simply a graceful exit from ministry, conveniently bundled with retirement? And repairing the marriage? That’s even more hypocritical. A marriage doesn’t die when papers are signed; it ends the moment you decide to sleep with another woman. “Repair” is just a line for the readers. If real repair were possible, it would have happened long ago.
Any confession made only when damage control becomes necessary is not repentance. It’s PR.
Think about John Howard Yoder and the Mennonite Church — even worse. Yoder claimed he was conducting “theological experiments,” asking dozens of women to be undressed and caressed. This went on for at least 10 to 15 years. When it could no longer be covered up, the Mennonite Church still failed to deal with it properly, only issuing a public apology nearly 20 years after his death. What is that if not minimizing loss? Is that repentance?
Adultery is not that different from running two relationships at once. Not many people get to experience this kind of “romance,” because adultery requires mutual cooperation. When you finally meet someone with that rare level of “alignment,” you begin to understand why it becomes so hard to resist.
In ordinary double-dating scenarios, the offender usually deceives both sides, because everyone has better options. The cost is low; once exposed, people simply walk away. Adultery is different. The sunk cost is enormous. The spouse has far too much to lose. Very often, the third party knows perfectly well that she is the third party. Precisely because such relationships feel so “rare,” those involved convince themselves they are “meant to be,” chosen by fate, and therefore impossible to give up.
But let’s be clear: adultery is always a choice. “Spiritual connection” does not happen by accident; it is cultivated. Like Karl Barth, who wrote and mailed a love letter — only then did this “forbidden” love take root. You knock on the door. She opens it. You choose to enter. Then you choose to stay the night. This is a long process, deliberately nurtured. It is not love at first sight.
If you choose adultery, I would rather you choose divorce. Unfortunately, the church often refuses to allow that option. So you have no way out — and neither does your wife. For the sake of book royalties, academic chairs, or the so-called “greater good of the church,” divorce becomes unthinkable, and adultery is quietly tolerated by the community.
In fact, isn’t that exactly what we’re seeing now after Yancey’s affair came to light? The church is “digesting” the news, afraid that the entire system — churches, publishers, and those who once endorsed his books — will no longer function properly.
Protestant churches love to manufacture idols. While they claim to worship no saints beyond Yahweh, they have no shortage of celebrities: Christian entertainers, Christian political activists, famous revival speakers, star theologians. Every field produces its own idols, its own stars. People fixate on what these “gods” say, meditating on their words day and night as if that were a blessing.
“All truth is God’s truth.” That means truth is not invented by someone, nor is it impressive that someone “discovered” it. Truth finds a person; a person does not find truth. If you truly believe that what you know comes from the illumination of the Holy Spirit, not from mastering some famous thinker, you will not become arrogant — and you will not idolize people or build stars.
The church has always been good at tolerating sin. What does “tolerance” mean? It means refusing to change power structures and systems. This kind of inertia runs deep. At best, the church suppresses criticism, accusing critics of “destroying unity.” It prefers pre-packaged programs — purpose-driven discipleship, Alpha, EE — unwilling to find the path Christ calls them to walk personally.
At worst, the church suppresses victims of sexual misconduct, protecting perpetrators for the sake of reputation. Offenders remain in power, continue pastoring, preaching, writing books — until the “overall damage” is reduced to a minimum. Then they step down and retire. Neatly.
This tolerance is itself sin. Do not fool yourself into thinking you are merely “sinned-against”. The church has always been an accomplice.
Author: DIASPORA Perspective
Open to dialogue and shared reflection. Grace and peace.
