Women of Faith Find Ford Assault Testimony Deeply Disturbing: 'I'm Surprised by How Hard It Is to Watch' - CBN News Heather Sells

Beth Moore is one of many women of faith who tweeted about Dr. Ford's Senate testimony

Women of Faith Find Ford Assault Testimony Deeply Disturbing: 'I'm Surprised by How Hard It Is to Watch'
09-29-2018
CBN News Heather Sells

Many women of faith, including sexual assault survivors, found Thursday's Senate hearing testimony 

by Dr. Christine Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh deeply troubling. Their posts on social media spoke 

of inner turmoil no matter their political persuasion.

Author and speaker Mary DeMuth has written about her sexual assault as a child and said Ford's 

recollection of laughter during her attempted rape brought her to tears.

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"I am crying right now," she tweeted Thursday. "I remember that too – the bantering, the joking, the 

lackadaisical ways the boys demeaned me, treating their abuse as no big deal."


Mary DeMuth@MaryDeMuth

“They were laughing with each other, two friends having a really good time with one another.” I am 

crying right now. #KavanaughHearings I remember that too, the bantering, the joking, the lackadaisical 

ways the boys demeaned me, treating their abuse as no big deal.

Southern Baptist leader and survivor Trillia Newbell tweeted, "I'm surprised by how hard it is to watch 

this hearing."


Trillia Newbell
✔@trillianewbell

I'm surprised by how hard it is to watch this hearing. Praying for others who are likely struggling too. 

May God bring peace, comfort, and healing where needed.

Former prosecutor and sexual abuse expert Boz Tchividjian said the testimony created a painful day for 

many survivors. "May these amazing souls be comforted and loved by those around them," he tweeted.


Boz Tchividjian@BozT

This has been a very painful day for many survivors having been triggered by what they witnessed in a 

Senate hearing room. May these amazing souls be comforted and loved by those around them...and 

may they end this difficult day with hope for tomorrow.

Likewise, Bible study speaker and assault survivor Beth Moore said, "A lot of people feeling stripped 

bare today. Your kindness and compassion even toward matters you don't fully understand could be a 

blanket to somebody. It's a cold world. Warm it up a little."

Christian publisher and abuse survivor Jennifer Lyell talked about three things people have done that 

helped her over the years: believing her story and telling her so, telling her they were sorry and not 

changing how they treated her.

With the rise of the #MeToo movement and the #ChurchToo movement, awareness of sexual abuse is 

growing in the pews and affecting how people of faith view abuse survivors, be they in their church or 

a Senate hearing room.

The Southern Baptist Executive Committee recently announced it will spend $250,000 for a sexual 

abuse advisory study.

And two-thirds of Protestant pastors surveyed in a LifeWay Research study said sexual and domestic 

violence affects their congregations. Eighty-five percent said they had heard of #MeToo and three-

quarters said they knew someone who had been sexually harassed.

One in five also said they personally had experienced domestic or sexual violence.