柴玲的牧师们呼吁教会应及时行使公义不再迟延

第二小黑屋

让公义出现——柴玲的牧师们呼吁教会应及时行使公义不再迟延

尊敬的神州传播协会和远志明按牧团的董事们， 我们在2014年12月19日就我们的姐妹柴玲揭发远志明强奸她的事件给您们发信，可至今我们没有收到您们的任何回音，对此我们深表遗憾！这些严肃和不同寻常的的指控对远志明及他的事工有著法律和见证上的深远影响。 我们的要求是尊重，真诚，合乎福音精神的，我们只是要求您们，作为远志明在属灵监督员，对这些指控做一个公正，独立的调查。 我们最终的追求是要找出当时发生的真相，达到合适的忏悔与和解。尽管这些指控是令人不安的，并且是不容易面对的，但是这是一个很好的给基督社区的机会∶来支持那些曾被性侵犯的受害者，呼吁停止这样的行为，因为这样的性犯罪行为已经在我们的社会里成为泛滥的疫情。我们耶稣基督的信徒必须带领社会行使公义并帮助恢复重建。 您们至今为止，几乎两个月了，没有对我们的信以任何方式作出回应。徐志秋和周爱玲牧师各自发表的公开信不但是不恰当的，不符合圣经的，非法的，不正确的，还破坏扭曲了柴玲姐妹对发生的事实的见证。我们敦促他们立即公开收回这些信件，并呼吁其他任何同样作出不适当的评论的人，包括刘彤牧师也跟柴玲姐妹道歉。 远志明先生一直不肯采取测谎测试，以验证他的说法，相反柴玲姐妹早已经这样做了。所有以上这些行为都给我们充足的证据来相信远志明的确在24年前强奸了柴玲。而您们，通过您们的沉默和不负责任的行为，（跟远志明）串通一气，继续危害柴玲女士和可能的其他受害者的。 由于我们善意追求真理及和解的努力都徒劳无gong - 包括您们缺乏正当积极地反应，缺乏寻求或知道真相的渴望，远志明先生拒绝测谎测试，我们没有别的选择，只好公开地宣布，我们相信柴玲姐妹的见证是完全真实的。 对公义的迟延就是公义的剥夺！这个古老的说法最早是在耶稣在世时在犹太人的密西拿中被引用的（Pirkei Avot）。24年来柴玲姐妹一直在沉默中很多时间是独自地承担著这个罪恶的严重后果。在过去的三年半里她耐心地以圣经里教导的程序来面对远志明，试图达到他的认罪与和解，呼吁您们作为他的董事们来遵守您们的信托责任来调查。但是她不但没有得到公义，反而受到更多的牧师们和董事们的羞辱，伤害和不理睬。这难道是神要我们来表示他向世界的公义，怜悯和真理的方式吗？ 耶稣基督警告过我们∶“我实在告诉你们，这些事你们既然没有作在一个最小的身上，就是没有做在我的身上了。”（马太福音25∶45）我们在基督的爱中敦促您们要考虑您们行为的严重后果。 至于我们，忍耐已经足够了。马丁·路德·金博士说，“正义拖延得太久就是对正义的剥夺！”今天，我们发表我们回应柴玲姐妹呼求正义的声明，我们也在耶稣的名下为数百万像她过去一样还在沉默中的受害者发出公义的声音。 我们完全支持柴玲女士把这个问题向更广泛的基督社会公布呼吁关注的行动。进而，我们欢迎并赞赏18位华人牧师们的勇敢和符合圣经教导的行动，来进行必要和必需的独立调查。我们为他们祈祷祝福。我们为这些主内的兄弟姐妹们很骄傲。我们期待著他们对这个重要事件的调查结果。 我们呼吁所有信徒，特别是教会领袖站出来为性暴力的受害者说话，并拒绝掩盖或容忍这些罪。肇事者应被绳之以法。强奸是暴力犯罪，而且是违法的。揭露犯罪，需要很大的勇气，但必将挽救生命。对那些已经被告知可能有犯罪的，如果他们不出面，采取打击犯罪的行动，那他们与罪犯将会同样有罪。我们都得给神有个交代的。经文里写著（神审判我们的标准和要求）∶”24 但愿公正好像潮水滚流，公义好像河水长流。”（阿摩司书 5:24） “17 学习行善，寻求公平，指责残暴的人，替孤儿伸冤，为寡妇辨屈。”（以赛亚书 1:17） 总之，性强暴，我们姐妹的痛苦和绝望的哭求，教会的声誉和威信，都要求我们对这件事做出及时迅速的忏悔救赎回应。我们相信，这样的行为是给我们的主耶稣基督带来荣耀的。 此信发自支持柴玲和其她受害者的女童之声的董事会和柴玲的基督教社区的成员们 （如翻译有不确切的地方， 以英文为准） Let There Be Justice! February 18th, 2015 Dear Board members of China Soul and the Board of Yuan Zhiming’s ordination as a pastor: We are disappointed and disheartened with your lack of response to our letter dated December 19, 2014 regarding the sexual assault and rape of our spiritual Sister Chai Ling by Mr. Yuan Zhiming. These are extraordinary and serious charges with profound implications both legally and to the witness of Mr. Yuan Zhiming and his Our request was respectful, sincere, and keeping with the Gospel in merely asking you, his overseers, to conduct a fair and independent investigation of these allegations. Our ultimate pursuit is to arrive at the truth of what happened, and to see appropriate repentance and reconciliation. As disturbing as these allegations are, and as difficult as they are to deal with, there is an opportunity here for the Christian community to support those who have been victimized by sexual assault, and to call for an end to such behavior which is epidemic in our society. We who are Jesus Christ’s followers must lead the way in justice and restoration. You have failed to respond to our letter in any way. We believe that the open letters by Pastors Xu and Shu were inappropriate, unbiblical, unlawful and incorrect, and they undermined Sister Chai Ling’s account of what happened. We have urged them to publicly withdraw these letters immediately, and we urge others who also made inappropriate comments including Pastor Liu Tong to also apologize to our Sister Chai Ling. Mr. Yuan Zhiming has been unwilling to take a polygraph test to validate his assertion, in contrast to Sister Chai Ling who has done so. All of these we believe are compelling evidence that Mr. Yuan Zhiming did, in fact, prey upon and raped Sister Chai Ling and that you, by your silence and inaction, are complicit in continuing to harm Sister Chai Ling and potentially other victims. Since our goodwill efforts of seeking the truth for reconciliation have all proved fruitless in the face of both your lack of being forthcoming and your lack of desire to seek or know the truth and Mr. Yuan Zhiming’s refusal to submit to a polygraph test, we have no other course than to declare publicly that we believe Sister Chai Ling’s account to be true. Justice delayed is justice denied! This ancient saying was first derived from the Jewish Mishnah at the time of Jesus on earth (Pirkei Avot). Sister Chai Ling has been enduring the huge cost of this crime for more than 24 years silently and largely alone. For the last three and half years, she patiently followed the biblical process to confront Yuan in seeking his repentance and reconciliation and calling on you as his boards to follow your fiduciary obligation to investigate. Yet instead of receiving justice, she was further humiliated, harmed, and stonewalled by more pastors and board members. Is this how God wants us to represent His justice, mercy, and truth to the world? The Lord Jesus warned us in Matthew 25:45 by saying: “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” We urge you in Christian love to consider the serious consequences of your actions. As for us, enough is enough. Again, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded all who would listen that “Justice too long delayed is justice denied!” Today, we issue our declaration of justice for Sister Chai Ling and raise our voice for millions of silent victims like her in the name of our Lord. We wholeheartedly support Sister Chai Ling’s actions to bring this matter to the attention of the broader Christian community. We further welcome and applaud the 18 Chinese pastors’ courageous and biblical action to conduct the necessary and needed independent investigation. Our prayers and thoughts are with them. We are very proud of these brothers and sisters in the Lord. We look forward to their findings on these important matters. We urge all believers and especially church leaders to stand up for victims of sexual abuse and to refuse to cover up or tolerate these sins. Perpetrators should be brought to justice. Rape is a violent crime, and it is illegal. Exposing the crime takes great courage. Those who are made aware that abuse may be happening will share in the guilt if they do not come forward and take actions against the crime. We shall all have to give an account to God. It is written in Amos 5:24: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” And, it is written in Isaiah 1:17: “Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” In conclusion, these charges of rape, our sister’s suffering and her cries of despair, and the witness and welfare of the church demand a swift response of repentant, redemptive actions. We believe this would honor our Lord Jesus Christ! In support of Sister Chai Ling, this letter is sent by the Board of All Girls Allowed and members of Sister Chai Ling’s Christian community. Mr. Bob Maginn Rev. Dr. Bryan Wilkerson Pastor David Hill Elder Tom Colatosti Dr. Deborah Kwolek Mr. Mike Flaherty Members of Ling’s Church community and friends of Ling 2015-02-18