Christianity Today
Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) notified staff, donors, and supporters on Wednesday that there is “convincing and credible” evidence that Ravi Zacharias “engaged in sexual misconduct over the course of many years.”
A preliminary report from the law firm hired by RZIM confirms reports from CT, World, and blogger Steve Baughman that international apologist Ravi Zacharias, who died earlier this year, sexually abused numerous women.
The final report is forthcoming, and RZIM has committed to releasing it to the public. The investigators at the law firm Miller & Martin have told the board, however, that many victims have “spoken candidly and with great detail,” confirming the allegations of massage therapists who worked in two Atlanta spas that Zacharias partially owned. The team has uncovered other misconduct as well. The investigation is ongoing and the investigators are continuing to pursue leads. More
Zacharias died of cancer on May 19, 2020. More
Hmmm… a cult leader who takes advantage of the weak in the cult. Wo could have seen this coming?
“I’m shocked!”-Nobody
Typical…discredit a pastor after the fact to sully his reputation. Is it true? Probably not. They did the same with Bill Hybels six months before he retired after 42 years of service. All lies. And guess who carried that water? Christianity Today.
there was a hell fire and brimstone preacher in my hometown that fathered a son via his daughter and yrs later was caught soliciting male sex in omaha. He died 5 yrs later in prison. Perverts are everywhere
Ravi, used to preach Jesus to Muslims in Arab countries. You don’t do that for money or fame. You do that because to live is Christ, to die is gain. I never understood why you go to people groups who hate you and everything about you. Ravi was the real deal. But that being said, I follow Christ, and when a preacher screws up it’s sad and I keep my eye on the goal.
Ravi Zacharias couldn’t be reached for comment nor properly defend himself against the allegations.
Because he’s DEAD.
Maybe it’s true, don’t know, but could it be good diggers?
If they have been violated why would you wait until he’s dead unless you don’t want him to defend himself? I think a rat got in the house.
Let’s see some evidence or shove off.
Kamala Harris is a crack whore.
Who?
Loved Ravi. I will be surprised, and incredibly saddened, if this is true. Appreciate that the ministry are participating in the investigation.
When all is said and done, God alone is faithful.
Doesn’t matter if it’s true.
The accusation taints.
Define “abuse.”
Maybe he was just boffing and they refer to it as “abuse?”
Seems like every guy who gets a shot of leg is now a pervert.
I believe nothing from the foul mouths of lawyers – they do and say whatever fills their pockets.
And, as stated earlier, it’s easy to accuse the dead.
izlamo delenda est …
…pretty easy to accuse dead man as Tim says, and they sure like to accuse Christians of everything in particular, almost like they want to discredit Christ Himself or something. Anything’s possible because men will fail you, but it seems pretty convenient to bring it up now, that you can only get one side of the story.
Besides, dude was a Muzz. If he was really into abuse he could have just STAYED a Muzz, then he could beat his wife, rape women, and even molest children with not only impunity, but with the full support of Democrats and their media…
…just realize how pointless this is unless the REAL target is Christianity.
I do not know if he was an apostle or an apostate, sinner or saint, good or evil.
But God does.
Whatever he did for the Lord or for the devil, he has long since gone to his reward fir it, and its quite beyond you or I or any lawyer to punish or reward him further. If he has sinned, he is answering for it even now, and we cannot add to or detect from his fate at the hands of a just Lord.
And if he DID do something, he’s not around to do it NOW, and it does NOT follow that everyone AROUND him was IN on it or has evil of their OWN to be stopped, so heaping coals on his grave doesn’t do anything other than try to pull down a ministry that he now has no part in, and maybe enrich some lawyers along the way.
Everyone who’s read me knows that I am no fan of abuse. I spent a good number of years working with abused women and children professionally, still do on an amateur basis when I see a need, my own sister was abused as was one of my nieces. I would cheerfully pull the balls off an abuser with my bare hands and stuff them in his mouth as he bleeds out, given the chance.
But that doesn’t mean that everyone ACCUSED of abuse, is ipso facto an abuser.
Because – shocker – women can lie.
Yes, even about abuse.
I don’t need to remind you of the SC hearings, the Duke lacrosse team or, or even of Tawana Brawley, as I’m sure you have heard of these, and more, before. I could tell you of street-level instances, but the names of ordinary people and the flyover places would mean nothing to you. Many of you may BE women, and I’m quite sure you know that your gender sisters are capable of avarice, revenge, bullying and being bullied, and telling lies to try to avoid trouble for themselves.
No one but the Lord is pure.
So it is necessary to use discernment and look at each situation in isolation, and this one looks pretty fishy.
…but that doesn’t mean a minister should be careless.
No one ever successfully accused Billy Graham of anything in his own, very long, ministry. This is because he was VERY aware that he had a target on his back because of his calling, so he took pains to NEVER be alone with ANY woman he was not related to. Like a gynecologist, he ALWAYS had a third party witness, and for the same reason.
However you may feel about Billy Graham, that is ONE path EVERY minister should walk.
…it would spare the faithful from doubt like THIS, and keep them from being a stumbling block even in death…
“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.”
Romans 14:13
Ravi is dead.
Whether good man or bad, it doesn’t change the fact that the Lord is good, ALL the time.
And you should not trust in man anyway, but in the Lord…
“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”
Psalm 118:8
I don’t worship men, I worship the Lord alone.
I would recommend that for everyone.
It avoids issues like this…
…this is also why I’m not fond of “big name” ministers.
Because they are men, and men will fail.
…so without having an opinion on these ministers as “men of God”, I don’t like to hear of Ravi Zacharias’ ministry, Franklin Graham’s ministry, Jimmy Swaggert’s ministry, John Hagee’s ministry, or even generic ones like The Vineyard ministry or Abundant Life ministries. These are all nice things and may be well meaning people, but I don’t worship Jimmy Swaggert or Vineyards.
I worship only the Lord.
And ALL ministries SHOULD be HIS.
Ravi could not save a single soul, nor could John or Franklin or Billie or Abundant Life Ministries. They can provide the setting and support, but ultimately ONLY the Lord saves. Putting the name of a fallable human on that only clouds the water and creates an opening for satan to exploit
My own Pastor starts every service with a prayer along the lines of “Hide me behind the Cross so they see only You and Your word”.
…and that’s how it SHOULD be.
Preacher religion is dangerous and ultimately useless, because preachers are men and men can fail. Even Jesus’ favorite apostle, Peter, failed him badly at the moment of His crucifixion.
No man is the Lord, so no man is worthy to put his name ahead of that of the Lord.
Either your Church belongs to God, or it doesn’t. If it does, why is someone or something ELSE’S name on it?
Just my .02.
Food for thought.
Don’t eat too much …
Yawn…
SNS
“Besides, dude was a Muzz.”
He was not Muslim,,his ancestors were Hindu and his parents were Anglican.
“I do not know if he was an apostle or an apostate, sinner or saint, good or evil.”
Why can’t both things be true? Ravi did tremendous good in spreading the gospel and in bringing the multitudes to Christ, he also was a sinner, was unfaithful to his wife and abused [allegedly] several women.
My evidence for believing the accusations is the source, the same ministries that he founded. Untypically, they did not try to hide it or sweep it under the carpet, they hired an independent team to honestly and scrupulously look at it, objectively. Finding out that that the accusations are truth can only hurt them, both monetarily and in influence, yet they are trying to do the right thing.
“…this is also why I’m not fond of “big name” ministers.”
I’m with you there,these so called men of God who enrich themselves to the point of absurdity, really shameful and not “Jesus” like. One of the biggest frauds in my mind is Trump’s spiritual advisor, Paula White.
I learned a long time ago, we embrace the message, not the messenger.
rich taylor
DECEMBER 28, 2020 AT 9:38 AM
“He was not Muslim…”
…you’re right, I confused him with this guy who worked for him on that…
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2020/feb/22/christian-speaker-on-switch-from-islam-/
…and don’t get the idea I’m defending the man or saying the accusations can’t be true. They certainly CAN. All I’m saying is that I’m pretty leery of accusations made against a dead man who can’t answer for them.
He could certainly be everything they say.
They can also be just looking for a payday.
With the man dead, I honestly don’t know what else they could be trying to get out of it, other than that or trying to fling his mud onto the Lord.
It doesn’t matter now to him, so I don’t know what other purpose was served by waiting so long, without the evidence the ministry board has I can’t possibly know, but I also don’t see the point, NOW…
The Minister wouldn’t be preparing the public for a damaging statement if there wasn’t substance the allegations. Disappointing.
This is the reason my position on human sexuality and the pulpit always started with:
“Just as I do not want a raging homosexual in my pulpit nor do I want a raging heterosexual.” Sexual purity in marriage and chastity in singleness is God’s standard.
Ministers/pastors must be beyond reproach – I avoided eye contact with women as much as I could, never was alone with one not my wife, and always had windows in my office doors when counseling. We are called to a higher standard even when it’s just God watching. Even in our humanity there is no slack or busman’s holiday allowed.
1 John 1:9- If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 3:23- For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 6:23- For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.