Rhett Bulter: Sexual Predator?

During the height of the #metoo movement, I posted this movie clip on my Facebook page, and asked my female friends this question: “Does this scene depict a sexual assault?” (Click on the image to watch the clip)

Nine out of ten women responded with some form of “yes.”

I can assure you that in 1939, when Gone with the Wind was released, no one, male or female, saw Rhett Butler as a sexual predator.

So times have changed. Attitudes have changed.

I have been asked to address this in an upcoming talk I’m titling, “Being a Christian Man in the #metoo Era.”

It’s a tricky time for male disciples of Jesus.

For years, as society has promoted an “anything goes” sexual ethic, Christians have preached a countercultural message of sexual restraint. Men’s ministries such as Promise Keepers presented sexual mores that, if universally followed, would have totally eliminated the #metoo hashtag.

Yet we live in a time of high-profile moral failures among male Christian leaders.

So, is it time for a victory lap? Or is it time to revisit our methods?

If you have any advice or a story to tell, please e-mail me: [email protected].