Description
103: When Sex Becomes a Nightmare: God’s Gift as Evil’s Weapon
Molly-Catherine K. Goodson, M.A., Esq.
Molly-Catherine K. Goodson
201 N. Main St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Summary
For many Christian clients, sex is a gift from God, designed to be enjoyed in the confines of a marital relationship. In the wake of the “#MeToo” movement, people across America have shared their most vulnerable and tragic moments in public and private spheres regarding sexual assault, rape, and forms of sexual harassment. The impact of the women who have come forward and shared their stories is changing the trajectory of the way our culture views sexual assault and rape. The “face” of the perpetrator has become the face we watch on the morning news, the face that coached our children, the face of our neighbor, and even the face of a close friend we see most often at church. Yet, an area that is not often discussed is when the face of the perpetrator is the husband a wife sleeps next to every night… or the boyfriend who continually pushes boundaries to the point of manipulating sexual advances to control his girlfriend and take advantage of her… or the woman who manipulates and controls her husband through her sexual fantasies that make him uncomfortable. What happens when God’s gift is twisted in a manner that allows Satan to cause mass destruction in the life of a child of God?
Learning Objectives
Participants will:
• Assess the individualized and unique needs of a client who is the victim of relationship rape, including those who disclose rape immediately, after an extended time following the assault, or choose to report it to law enforcement
• Identify the potential triggers following relationship rape
• Discuss how helping professionals, pastors, and others can support organizations and the Church’s role in speaking out against sexual assault and rape within the confines of close relationships
