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Whenever rape is mentioned in the Bible, it is condemned and depicted as a gross violation of God’s design. That’s why the words of a pastor – Bobby Leonard, longtime leader of the Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Monroe, N.C. – struck me as especially atrocious.
A video excerpt from the church’s live-streamed service on Aug. 16, 2023, shows Leonard strongly imply that he wouldn’t convict a rapist if the victim was wearing shorts. (And, no, I am not making this up; you can watch it yourself online.)
Leonard claims in his sermon that, on visits to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., “you’ll find more women with shorts on than pants and dresses put together.” He says he “counted” to verify it, then encouraged his congregation to do similarly.
“I used to say this,” Leonard says in the video, “and I haven’t said this in a long time. If you dress like that, and you get raped, and I’m on the jury, he’s gonna go free.”
Just in case you weren’t clear about what he meant, Leonard continued. “I’m right though. I can’t help it if you don’t like it, I’m right. ‘Cause, you know, a man’s a man. A man’s a man!”
So, according to this church pastor, a man can’t help but commit rape if a woman is wearing shorts, which is why he wouldn’t vote to convict someone who was guilty of a violent felony. And, even weirder, church members should spend their spare time counting the number of women wearing shorts at a local outlet mall. Leonard also admitted that he has believed this bit of chauvinistic nonsense for “a long time.”
This kind of thinking may seem archaic and irrelevant in 2024, but Leonard is hardly alone in believing that the United States should take a giant leap backward when it comes to women’s rights. Here are just three examples:
- Missouri Republican Sen. Sandy Crawford said during a floor debate on Feb. 12 that a woman should be required to give birth to her rapist’s child and even claimed it was God’s will, which by all rights should get her sued for slandering the Almighty.
- Illinois judge Robert Adrian was recently removed from the bench two years after reversing a man’s rape of a 16-year-old girl, saying at the time, “This is what happens whenever parents allow teenagers to drink alcohol, to swim in pools with their undergarments on.”
- There is an ongoing movement within some conservative political and church circles to overturn the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution – you know, the one that led to women having the right to vote. Some candidates for office nationwide have even endorsed this abject discrimination.
Leonard appeared to apologize for saying what he means in a most 20th-century sort of way – by placing the words, “I am sorry for any hurt. I was wrong,” on the marquee in front of the church building. He later issued on online apology.
Making it even worse, taxpayers have been helping fund the church’s private school, Tabernacle Christian School, which has received $3,649,766 in vouchers over the last decade. So this man has been instilling his 1699 beliefs into young children, and on our dime.
It may be worthwhile to note that Bible Baptist Tabernacle is an independent, fundamental Baptist church, which was the subject of a 2018 investigation by the Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram that unearthed hundreds of sex abuse allegations across nearly 200 churches in North America, some dating back to the 1970s. Closer to home, the pastor of an affiliated church in Lincolnton, N.C., was arrested in March 2023 and charged with three counts of taking indecent liberties with children.
In the United States, we have the right to believe what we want, even if it’s unpalatable to the majority. However, we do not have the right to discriminate against women and treat them as second-class citizens. This Women’s History Month, may more men join efforts to ensure that our better half always has a seat at the big table.
David Brown is publisher of the Cherokee Scout. You can reach him by phone, 828-837-5122; email, dbrown@cherokeescout.com; or on X @daviddBstroh.