EDITOR, The Tribune.

The comments made by Pastor Mario Moxey and Rev. Philip McPhee in The Tribune on 18 August 2023 are, in my opinion, vile, inhumane and dangerous, and should be publicly denounced. Moxey and McPhee violently move the hurt body of an eleven-year-old into a symbol of immorality in service of their political agendas. She is a symbol because her pain, innocence and personhood are (again) erased, this time in rhetoric. Her abortion is the centre of their moral crisis, not her violation. While Moxey stated in conversation that he did publicly condemn the assault (but those comments were not printed), this does not change the devastating ethical implications of his rhetoric and position.

Moxey claims, “We believe in the sanctity of life, and it’s important that we protect the life even in situations where there is rape.” However, “the sanctity of life” he heralds does not include The Girl, her quality of life, her physical and mental health, her future. She is not protected in their sermons. When he says “the sanctity of life,” he does not even mean the life of a fetus. He really means “the sanctity of power”-- of “the law,” “the Word,” and, above all, their positions. When he says “sanctity,” he does not mean “sacredness.” It is my opinion that he really means “inviolability,” but this inviolability of the life of power hinges on the violation of The Girl. When he says, “it’s important that we protect the life,” he does not mean The Girl. She is not “the life.” Moxey declares, “We got to uphold the laws, not try to amend our laws to accommodate these types of violations.” When he says, “these violations,” he does not mean the violation of The Girl. The Girl was raped. McPhee makes it clear, “If you want me to give you my personal view, I don’t think we should take the life of a child.” But he does not mean The Girl’s life, and how it was taken by her mother’s boyfriend.

The whole structure depends on the assault, silencing and obliteration of The Girl. The hurt Girl sullies the sanctity and the pulpit feeds on her hurt. These men, who claim to live as Jesus did, apparently do not love The Girl.

CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL

Writer, Scholar, Professor

August 21, 2023