There are a few beliefs that make Christians in particular subcultures vulnerable to believing abuse, particularly against women and children, is actually not that serious as long as it is done by another Christian. They are:
- Hierarchy is Health. Good relationships are about knowing and occupying your assigned spot based on age and gender. Most social problems are caused by people failing to comply with their assigned rank. Relationships where rank and role are honored are healthier. Relationships where they aren’t are worse. In general, it’s more desirable to err on the side of a relationship being more hierarchical, not less, since hierarchy is itself an agent of good and order.
- There Is No Trauma, Only Sin. Depression, mental illness, and damage are manifestations of sin and the individual’s bad habits. They need to be repented of. They have no more power than people give them. Trauma and mental illness can be set aside like any bad habit.
- People Like That Are the Only People Here. As a result of the conversion experience and the Holy Spirit, Christians are a class of people whose behavior is rational, consciously motivated, and comprehensible to everyone. Christians make mistakes but are fundamentally trustworthy. Serious wrongdoing is usually caused by some kind of external agent, usually addiction or demonic forces. This state of being affected by the external agent is temporary and easy to resolve. Only outside the church are people likely to be recklessly and chaotically dangerous.