Megachurch pastor and married man Jack Schaap has angered his congregation but good. They fired their long-time spiritual leader this week for having an affair. Infidelity is a sin after all.
So what doesn't seem to bother the members of the First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana nearly as much? The fact that 54-year-old Schaap's alleged mistress was just 16 years old.
Quiz time. If you found out a married 54-year-old man was having an affair with a 16-year-old girl, what would concern you most? The affair? Or the fact that his girlfriend was 16? There is a 38-year age difference here! She's just a kid!
As a mother and all-around normal human being, I'd have to go with number two ... how about you?
But not the folks at First Baptist. A church spokesman says they turned over evidence of their pastor's alleged affair to the cops, but they don't think their former pastor did anything illegal. In fact, the girl's age didn't factor into the firing at all -- Schaap was simply canned for committing "a sin that has caused him to forfeit his right to be our pastor." They're just all "dumbfounded," as one church member told the local ABC affiliate, by the fact that Schaap allegedly committed adultery.
Folks, maybe it's not illegal. The age of consent in Indiana is 16 after all, although cops are investigating whether the alleged affair crossed state lines.
But can we talk priorities here for just a second? I don't care whose bed your boots have been under, provided you're both adults. And by adults, I don't mean under the eyes of the law. I mean realistically adults. A 16-year-old may be up for sex with an 18-year-old or a 21-year-old. But with a 54-year-old? Sorry, but that's creepy in any situation.
But in noting they fired Jack Schaap only for the sin of infidelity, what this megachurch (which broadcasts its sermons on TV to show off how holy it is) has essentially said is "this would have been OK if only he didn't have a wife."
That doesn't give me a lot of faith in their faith, folks. A 54-year-old man should know better than to touch a 16-year-old girl -- whether he's married or not.
What do you make of a 54-year-old and a 16-year-old engaged in a relationship?
Image via subtlepanda/Flickr
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Comments 58
I think that you are twisting this for shock value. How do you know that the people of his church did not find this shocking because of her aga. They said he did not do anything illegal which is correct because of the law. Being morally right and illegal are 2 differnt things. I am pretty sure that they were chatting among themselves about he girls age as well. Way to spin the story to make these "folks" look stupid.
Yep. I agree with you. And plenty of Christians are upset with how the church is handling this case. I have a friend who is actively working to get help and report any other victims. It's sick. The FBI is involved, so I'm guessing there is a lot of evidence that it crossed state lines. Maybe other girls?? Praying for the young lady and her family - and I sure hope they get out of the church if this is how the church is responding to it. :(
I am sorry but the statement "this would have been okay if he didn't have a wife" is not true. This is not a teaching of our church. We do not agree with it. The Bible is very clear that this is not a way a Christian should act. We do not condone what our former pastor did. He did not technically break a law. He was dismissed on the premise of adultry in any aspect not because of the age of the girl. And the Lake Co. Indiana Sherriff Department has concluded that she was at least 17. The reason that it was turned over to the athorities was because she it was unclear if she was underage. The church cannot do anything other than release him and turn the evidence over to authorities as soon as they have it. That is exactly what they did. We did what we had the power to do.
While it may be disgusting, and it is, it isn't any more disgusting than breaking up your family by sleeping with someone else.
But then, Jeanne, we all know you just love to judge Christians, don't you. You would find anything to pick at them for.
The pastor is not a pedophile. A pedophile refers to someone with sexual attraction to pre-pubescent children. Unless there is something majorly wrong hormonally, this girl likely does not fit that description. While disgusting and morally questionable (for many, many reasons), it's not illegal. The girl is 16 and has reached the age of consent. If she wants to have sex with an 80-year-old, it's not going to be illegal. I agree with the decision to fire him, since not only is he commiting adultery, but he is supposed to be a role model for his congregation and is clearly failing in that. I don't agree that he should be prosecuted unless the affair started before the girl reached the age of consent. I'm not saying it's not majorly gross, I'm just looking at logistics here.