Lori Anne Thompson on Truth, Trauma & Advocacy

Guest Bios Show Transcript https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLNRelP28Kg For years, Ravi Zacharias labeled her a predator and a serial extortionist. And sadly, the world believed him. But now, we know better. Ravi Zacharias was the predator in what was dubbed in 2017 as a “sexting scandal." And Lori Anne Thompson was not just the victim of clergy sexual abuse—but of a worldwide campaign to smear her name. In this special episode of The Roys Report, you'll hear what was definitely a highlight of the recent Restore 2022 Conference.  Lori Anne Thompson—one of Ravi’s multiple sex abuse victims—vulnerably shares her insights on effective victim advocacy with well-known author and academic Karen Swallow Prior. There are so many holy moments in this podcast, beginning with Prior's apology for not believing Thompson when Prior first learned of the so-called “sexting scandal.” Likewise, Thompson's insights on truth, trauma, and advocacy—borne out of years of suffering — are profound and sobering.  "There is something to bearing the cross and scorning its shame that’s stabilizing, believe it or not," Thompson says during the interview, choking back tears. ". . . For me, what that means is that you sort of bear the full cup of somebody else's wrath when you don't deserve it and do right anyway. And when you know yourself to be true, but everybody else in the globe, including people in your own home, think you're false, that the truth is solid on the bottom and it emits its own light — and that when the time is right, the truth, and the truth alone, will rise up to defend itself. You don't have to." This powerful interview not only educates, but also inspires and equips those who have been abused and their advocates to fight the evil they've encountered. It is the first of many sessions from Restore 2022 we'll be publishing in the coming weeks. This Week’s Guest Lori Anne Thompson Lori Anne Thompson is a survivor of clergy sexual abuse and has expertise about the protection of people from the ravages of poverty, adverse childhood experience, and interpersonal violence. She's also a storyteller and writes about abuse, trauma, #ChurchToo, #MeToo, justice, recovery, and restoration at loriannethompson.com.  Show Transcript SPEAKERS LORI ANNE THOMPSON, KAREN SWALLOW PRIOR, JULIE ROYS JULIE ROYS  00:04 For years, Ravi Zacharias labeled her a predator and a serial extortionist and sadly the world believed him. But now we know better. Ravi Zacharias was the predator in what was dubbed in 2017 as a sexting scandal, and Lori Anne Thompson was not just the victim of clergy sexual abuse, but of a worldwide campaign to smear her name. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And today we’re going to hear what was definitely a highlight of the recent Restore conference at Judson University. Lori Anne Thompson, one of Ravi’s multiple sex abuse victims, took the stage with well-known author and academic, Karen Swallow Prior. As you’ll hear, Prior begins a session with an emotional apology for not believing Thompson when Prior first learned of the so-called sexting scandal. And in all honesty, many of us didn’t believe Thompson early on. I like many others read the Christianity Today article in 2017, with Ravi’s full-throated rebuttal, and I believed Ravi. I’m ashamed of that today. And I’m very grateful that the woman I disbelieved at first, Lori Anne Thompson, is someone that today I can call a friend. And not only has she forgiven me for believing Ravi, but in September 2020 Lori Anne Thompson gave me the great privilege of telling her story to the world. Some of it had been reported before by Steve Baughman, author of Cover Up in the Kingdom, and blogger Julie Anne Smith. But I received overwhelming evidence and documentation that Ravi indeed was a sexual predator, and Lori Anne was his prey. So, what you’re about to hear is very personal for me. I love Lori