The recent Chimes Editorial article, “Modern American Evangelicals Contradict Historic Christianity,” offered a biased and inaccurate take on contemporary events. The author labels not merely President Trump, which most can agree has had an unscrupulous sexual past, but also Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Clarence Thomas as rapists. The author also pronounces sweeping condemnation on most Christians for supporting and electing non-Christian leaders. He even goes as far to claim “they aren’t being Christian, at least not in regard to the leaders they endorse.” The author proves best just how deteriorated politics have become.

The allegations against Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh as of October 6, simply put, are unsubstantiated, uncorroborated allegations. While Dr. Christine Blasey Ford does have very vivid and horrible memories of an attack made by Kavanaugh, there is no evidence to support her claims. A senate committee investigation and FBI investigation both found zero evidence to support her accusations, not to mention the other six background checks Kavanaugh has had during the duration of his public life. The presumption of innocence is fundamental to the American legal system, as well as others, but Kavanaugh received none of this. The defamatory statements made by the author are downright wrong and unchristian. Even if the allegations are true, Dr. Ford never claimed that Kavanaugh raped her. Sexual assault and rape are not the same thing.

As Christians, we are called to demonstrate grace as well as justice, and all claims of sexual assault should be investigated. But the strive for justice calls us to be fair-minded and to respect both parties equally. The lack of evidence does not mean an event or action did not take place, but it does mean that we should be careful not to automatically assume it did. While we should support the victim in their pain, we cannot treat the supposed perpetrator as guilty, otherwise we undermine the entirety of the system of law we hold so dear.