“Three women who worked at the [massage/spa] 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.”
-Daniel Silliman, “Ravi Zacharias’s Ministry Investigates Claims of Sexual Misconduct at Spas: Three women have come forward with additional allegations against the late Christian apologist,” Christianity Today.
More revelations are breaking regarding alleged misbehavior of the late Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias.
This story is essentially sharing how three employees of message businesses are claiming sexual misconduct by RZ. The events occurred during the years of roughly 2005 to 2010. Accusations include RZ exposing himself, touching a woman’s breast, and masturbating with a woman who was not his wife present.
RZIM denies the truth of these accusations. They have launched an investigation into them but noticeably are not committing publicly to transparency regarding said investigation.
If true–and I believe they are true–these are actions that qualify as Ministerial Sexual Abuse by Ravi Zacharias and are utterly wrong!
The spiritual damage of his behavior is captured–in part–here:
“One of the women said she stopped believing in God for a while after her encounter with Zacharias but has returned to faith after extensive counseling. Another said she has not been to church since and can’t trust religious institutions. It took her seven years of therapy to come to the conclusion that what Zacharias did to her was not her fault, she said.”
Now, we have four independent women who have accused RZ of engaging in sexual misconduct with them. This is looking like a pattern as opposed to “just” a celebrity-chasing, money-hungry extortioner as RZ tried to paint one of the alleged victims, Lori Anne Thompson, back in 2017.
In fact, one of the new accusers actually claims RZ asked her, too, to send him explicit pictures:
“She immediately knew Thompson was telling the truth, she said, recalling how after Zacharias had masturbated in front of her, he asked her for explicit photos when he was traveling.”
RZ’s alleged behavior is not simply sexual infidelity. It is Ministerial Sexual Abuse.
He clearly used his spiritual position to prey upon these women. They were so traumatized that their relationship with God became confused as a result of the alleged abuse.
The story about these victims’ confusion is painful to read as a minister myself. These victims inner struggles highlight how RZ used his position (allegedly) to prey upon them. He used their confusion (allegedly) to continue to engage in unbecoming, sinful behavior.
My heart breaks for these women. I hope the evangelical Church does right by them and allows the truth to come forth as opposed to protect the reputation of an evangelical “hero.”
