Jerry Sandusky Is The Face Of Conservative Christian Entitlement

Ever since the story of Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of boys broke, a number of Christianists have been trying to claim Jerry Sandusky is a typical gay man and that LGBT rights will lead to the acceptance of sexual abuse of children. It doesn’t matter that it’s not true. It doesn’t matter who they hurt with such accusations. They go on spreading this hateful misinformation in an attempt to demonize gay men. And they wrap themselves up in the Bible and claim to be moral authorities while doing it.

But what is their real goal? It can’t be that they’re truly interested in the welfare of Sandusky’s victims. This crowd regularly claims that the victims of molestation somehow become gay. And since they make every effort to demonize gay men, they in fact stigmatize the victims of molestation. If a boy is molested, he becomes suspect in the eyes of Christianists. And Christianists regularly rail against anti-bullying programs in schools, too. They claim that their right to foster hostile attitudes toward bullied children falls under the purview of their religious liberty. They regularly disregard, minimize and dismiss instances of abuse. They turn a blind eye to the young victims of bullying and talk about their right to tell others they’re sinful. Christianists cry foul every time there is an attempt to protect children. In their eyes, children don’t have a right to housing, healthcare or an education. And yet they want us to believe they’re the ones who care for kids.

Jerry Sandusky has never claimed to be gay. In fact he has been married to a woman for many years. No man has ever stepped forward and claimed he had a consensual, romantic, loving relationship with Jerry Sandusky. Jerry Sandusky is a churchgoing Christian. Jerry Sandusky has spent most of his life as a man of wealth, privilege and influence. Jerry Sandusky was highly regarded and well respected. And who were Jerry Sandusky’s victims? Poor boys. Boys who needed help. Boys who would be especially thrilled to have the chance to go to ballgames, go on trips, and do the things kids who come from wealthier homes take for granted. Jerry Sandusky showed these boys a good time, and then he acted like he owned them. He seemed to think they were obliged to repay him with sex. It seems that Jerry Sandusky felt he was entitled.

In the novel A Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood imagines a world in which the Christianists have managed to “win back America for Christ” in the not too distant future. In her story, the new theocratic, totalitarian state is called The Republic of Gilead, and the “men of God” are the ones in charge. Women have very little say. They are to submit to their husbands and fathers, just as God supposedly demands. They can’t own property, work outside the home, and of course having a voice in government is out of the question. Women who aren’t married and not protected by their fathers are treated like chattel and used for breading purposes.

A Handmaid's Tale spells out in explicit detail what life would be like for women in a Christianist theocracy run by men. And the trial of Jerry Sandusky tells us what life would be like for children.