Hi ~

Joe Rigney is notorious for taking up "empathy is a sin" as his battle cry. Yes, really. I refuted him here, in an article that eventually went into one of my books.

How do actual Christians decide that THIS is to be their primary message?

At the time of that writing, Joe was a professor at John Piper's seminary, Bethlehem Baptist. He went on to become the president of that seminary.

John Piper was apparently excited to have a seminary president who didn't hold to that empathy trash.

Rigney was also the pastor of a church associated with Piper's Bethlehem Baptist Church. Doesn't that sound like a dream come true, to have a man who believes empathy is a sin as your pastor? (I jest.)

When Rigney resigned from the seminary, for reasons unrelated to empathy, he went on to work for Doug Wilson, who loved his "empathy as sin" teaching, it appears, even more than John Piper did.

(Somehow they always seem to have plenty of empathy for abusive men, though?)

The fallout of the hard-heartedness of these teachers-of-pastors-and-future-pastors has been massive and widespread, all over the U.S.

All this (finally!) leads to the reason for this email.

A friend of mine, who has even guest blogged for me, has a daughter who experienced what it was like to be in Joe Rigney's church. This daughter recently told her story on a podcast.

The story of Rachel Curtiss, which you can listen to at the Sons of Patriarchy podcast, is worth hearing. She speaks truth with bravery, strength, and faith, and her mama is proud of her.

Feeling compassion and empathy with Jesus for those who have been harmed,

Rebecca

Untwisting Scriptures at heresthejoy.com

See my Untwisting Scriptures series

Trauma-informed group book coaching at Book Crafters Academy

P.S. A warning to anyone who has learned from Lundy Bancroft's materials (such as Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men). He has been credibly accused as a predator. See one testimonial here.

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