In This Case, Too, Silence Is Not Spiritual
This isn’t the first time Moore has called other leaders to speak out (without mentioning any names) on a controversial issue. In December of 2017, just as the #metoo and #churchtoo movements were gaining traction, Moore gave her support to the #silenceisnotspiritual movement.
Count me in! Because there is no doubt in my mind on this matter that #SilenceIsNotSpiritual!
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) December 20, 2017
The movement, which was started by a group of Christian leaders including Lisa Sharon Harper, encourages the Church to speak up about sexual abuse and violence against women. It’s a cause near to Moore’s heart, who is a victim of sexual abuse herself and who has spoken about it on numerous occasions. She not only speaks about it, but has been forthright in her criticism of leaders who either try to sweep abuse under the rug, or ignore the signs of it. Earlier this year, Moore started a thread on Twitter featuring a picture of herself as a little girl, explaining that the picture showed the tender age at which Moore herself was awakened to the harsh reality of sexual abuse. Many of Moore’s followers followed suit, posting their own childhood pictures. The implication of Moore’s commentary is that while some people can go a long time remaining ignorant about sexual abuse, others are not so fortunate.
Moore has also commented on misogyny and sexism in the church, again, two things that she says most Christian women have a personal familiarity with, but fewer men recognize and understand.
Moore’s Critics Take Issue With Her Words
Of course, we can hardly mention Beth Moore without also mentioning her critics, of which there are many. Recently, a group of Christian women called out Moore for what they perceive to be her apparent lack of clarity over the issue of homosexuality and her tendency to try and reach across denominational lines, so to speak.
The same group showed up in the comments on Moore’s posts about the need to condemn white supremacy, essentially calling her a hypocrite for not articulating a clearer stance on homosexuality.
Hope you had a nice vacation.
And the 450 ladies of the open letter patiently await your clear response on the sin of sodomy https://t.co/Xx12PcWVQb
— EAvirt (@OnlySoulsMatter) August 6, 2019
While there are plenty of positive comments thanking Moore for speaking up where other leaders might not, others feel that she’s wading into a political discussion again.
