He who spent most of his life defending Historic Christianity had to defend the veracity of his own life, which he never failed to proclaim as being nothing short of godly. Today, in a very regrettable turn of events, we are forced to defend Historic Christianity from the atheists, who are citing Ravi’s life as evidence against the character of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
The atheist slogan against Historic Christianity is this, “Christians, if you can be wrong about Ravi Zacharias, why can’t you be wrong about Paul, Matthew, Mark Luke, John, or even Jesus?”
THE ALLEGATIONS
Let us first be aware of the allegations against Ravi Zacharias. Here’s a succinct summary:
Exaggerated
academic credentials: Ravi claimed he was a ‘Professor at Oxford.’1
But he was not. When Ravi was questioned, he issued a written statement
affirming he was never a professor at Oxford, “…And while I have lectured at
Wycliffe Hall, I am not and have never been a professor at the University of
Oxford.”2
More controversy hovers around the prefix of ‘Dr.’ before his name, but Ravi affirmed he had not earned a doctorate degree, “I have never earned a doctoral degree and was never enrolled at the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge.”3
Sexting Allegations: A Canadian woman was reported to have sent her nude pictures to Ravi. Ravi, allegedly, according to this woman, continued his online conversation with her.
However, Ravi, when he was alive, in a statement to Christianity Today, denied an extended online conversation with this woman, “Then, last year, she shockingly sent me extremely inappropriate pictures of herself unsolicited. I clearly instructed her to stop contacting me in any form; I blocked her messages, and I resolved to terminate all contact with her.”4
Sexual Perversions: After Ravi passed on, Christianity Today reported the allegations of three women who worked for Ravi Zacharias at the massage spa, he co-owned. They alleged that Ravi harassed them sexually for about five years, “Three women who worked at the businesses, located in a strip mall in the Atlanta suburbs, told Christianity Today that Ravi Zacharias touched them inappropriately, exposed himself, and masturbated during regular treatments over a period of about five years. His business partner said he regrets not stopping Zacharias and sent an apology text to one of the victims this month.
RZIM denies the claims, saying in a statement to CT that the charges of sexual misconduct “do not in any way comport with the man we knew for decades.” The organization has hired a law firm “with experience investigating such matters” to look into the allegations, which date back at least 10 years. RZIM declined to answer any further questions about the inquiry.”5
TRUTH MATTERS
Even if we are to let go of the allegations against inflated academic credentials (because it happens most of the time with many leaders), we cannot ignore the allegations of online sexting and the alleged sexual harassment of three or more women at the spas Ravi co-owned.
As Ravi himself often said, Truth matters.
RZIM and C&MA (the ministry that ordained Ravi Zacharias) are conducting parallel investigations into the allegations. However, some people wonder if truth would ever be revealed to us:6
Even now, after revelation of shocking sexual abuse and harassment allegations by massage therapists at spas Zacharias co-owned, RZIM seems bent on denial. Though RZIM has hired a firm to investigate the spa allegations, what’s telling is RZIM’s recent statement, labeling the accusations “false.”
So, before the results of any independent investigation, RZIM apparently has made up its mind. It’s likely, then, that RZIM’s “investigation” will not be an attempt to discover the truth, but rather a ruse to justify a foregone conclusion.
The law firm RZIM hired for the investigation, Miller & Martin, is telling, as well. The firm has been accused of fraud and appears to have little expertise in sexual harassment and abuse cases.
But what’s most concerning is that Miller & Martin promotes itself as an expert in “crisis management.” On its website, the firm states that its crisis management team “aggressively pursues avoidance” and helps “limit” the amount that a crisis “damage(s) a client’s brand.”
This is not a firm that an organization committed to truth and transparency would hire for its “independent” investigation.
The truth does matter.
But would we ever know the truth?
I don’t know.
AT RISK
Two groups of people are at risk. They need our prayers.
Ravi’s family: With this alleged scandal out in the mainstream media, Ravi’s family, especially his grandchildren, could catch flak from our unforgiving society. May God protect them from emotional trauma and from all harms and danger.
Ravi’s victims: If the said allegations are true, then Ravi’s victims need our prayer too. After all, they are also made in God’s image. Victims of sexual harassment need divine healing. Every single victim needs our prayers.
DEBUNKING ATHEISTS
So atheists, upon surveying the allegations against Ravi Zacharias, throw a seed of doubt into the minds of naïve Christians. They ask, “Christians, if you can be wrong about Ravi Zacharias, why can’t you be wrong about Paul, Matthew, Mark Luke, John, or even Jesus?”
To cast aspersions on the characters of Paul, Matthew, Mark Luke, John, or even Jesus based on the life of Ravi Zacharias is thoughtless and reckless on many counts. Let us consider two reasons as to why atheists’ contention is fictitious, deceptive and misleading.
Mere Allegations: The sexting and sexual harassment allegations are mere allegations. Nothing is certain. Unless there is concrete evidence, Ravi stays in the clear. He remains innocent until proven guilty.
If Ravi is not proven guilty, he cannot be the cause of casting aspersions on the characters of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
Logically Fallacious: To doubt the characters of Jesus and the Apostles based on Ravi’s sin is ‘Bad Reasoning.’
It is bad reasoning to say that there are allegations against Ravi, so we should investigate the characters of the Apostles. (Even if Ravi Zacharias is found guilty of immoral acts, one cannot doubt or suspect the characters of the Apostles or Jesus Christ.)
To say that Ravi Zacharias is an adulterer, so his leader(s) would also be adulterers is not an adequate premise. It is plausible that the leader(s) would not be adulterers even though Ravi was one.
A father need not be an adulterer, even if his son were to be one.
If one or more followers of a particular leader practice adultery, then the leader cannot be doubted for adultery. The leader can only be doubted for adultery if his behavior leads to such a suspicion. Even if his/her behavior is suspicious, the leader is not an adulterer unless he confesses or is proven (with concrete evidence) to be an adulterer.
Without any concrete evidence, the judiciary would not entertain a plea to investigate the President or the Prime Minister or the King because one or more of their followers are practicing one or more immoral practices. It would be dim-witted to assume the leader to be guilty of the sin(s) practiced by the followers.
BIBLICALLY
SPEAKING
The Bible categorically teaches that all men are sinners.
This is not to say that all men are adulterers. Adultery is one of the many sins listed in the Bible. But no man can claim to be sinless and perfect (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10; 1 John 1:8). If Apostle Paul claimed to be the worst sinner (1 Timothy 1:15), it is a given that Ravi or you or me or any Christian are indeed sinners because we are vulnerable to sins.
I do not for even a moment think that Ravi ever claimed to be sinless. But, on more than one occasion, he claimed to be faithful to his wife Margie at all times.
If Ravi was unfaithful to Margie and if he had practiced adultery, then he would receive from God what is due to him, for God knows what Ravi did.
THE CONCLUSION
Let not this set a precedent for us to assume that all Christian leaders are adulterers or corrupt. (Of course, there are corrupt Christian leaders who deserve to be banished from their positions.)
Although not one man can claim to be sinless, each one can reflect Christ to the best of his abilities. No Christian leader can be perfectly godly or perfectly Christlike, but they can be good and trustworthy. So let’s continue to trust our leaders, who have been appointed by God.
Many of us would have loved, enjoyed, and learned much from Ravi Zacharias’ sermons and speeches. Let us continue to do so despite the apparent slur on his integrity.
I have no connections with RZIM, but I still say that if you have been supporting RZIM, continue to do so if the Lord so leads you to. Remember that you give to God primarily (Cf. 1 Chronicles 29:14; 2 Corinthians 9:10-15). Man is a sheer recipient of your gifts to God.
Endnotes:
1https://www.wthrockmorton.com/2018/08/21/blast-from-the-past-ravi-zacharias-made-himself-a-professor-at-oxford/
& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmTPxgGuA7Q&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=C.S.LewisInstitute; watch the clip at 52:40.
2https://www.wthrockmorton.com/category/ravi-zacharias/
3Ibid.
4https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/december/ravi-zacharias-sexting-extortion-lawsuit-doctorate-bio-rzim.html
5https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2020/september/ravi-zacharias-sexual-harassment-rzim-spa-massage-investiga.html
6https://julieroys.com/ravi-zacharias-allegations-highlight-secrecy-cover-up-at-rzim/
Websites last accessed on 19th October 2020.
