Christian comedian John Crist was just in Columbia this past Sunday. That may have been on of his final appearances for a long time. Yesterday he canceled the rest of his tour dates for the year after being accused of sexual misconduct by five women. Speaking to Charisma News, the alleged victims have accused Crist of “exploiting his Christian reputation and platform to harass, manipulate and exploit young women over the last seven years.”
Crist isn’t exactly denying the claims either. He says "Over the past number of years, various women have accused me of behavior that has been hurtful to them. While I am not guilty of everything I’ve been accused of, I confess to being guilty of this — I have treated relationships with women far too casually, in some cases even recklessly. My behavior has been destructive and sinful. I’ve sinned against God, against women and the people who I love the most. I have violated my own Christian beliefs, convictions and values, and have hurt many people in the process. Even though I’ve shared many of my life struggles with my audience, I’ve lived in constant fear of the darkest parts of my life being exposed publicly. I have decided to cancel my remaining tour dates this year in order to devote all my time and energy on getting healthy.”
Netflix announced that they have put Crist's special, which had been scheduled for release Nov 28th, on hold indefinitely. The release of his book "Untag Me" was scheduled for March has also been scrapped and may never be released.
Even though John isn't a Pastor, or even a leader, he is a high profile Christian. And because of that, his actions don't just hurt his victims, or his friends and family. He has given a lot of ammo to those who want to hurt the entire Christian community. If you are a Christian, rest in the knowledge that God is still on the throne, and He has won the war. Matthew 16:18 "I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
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