Hear, Believe, Act - The Blog

Discernment and Process: Responding to Domestic Abuse in the Ecclesia

The Responsibility of Shepherds In every generation the ecclesia must wrestle with how to apply Scripture faithfully to the realities before it. Domestic abuse is one of those realities. As arranging brethren and shepherds, we do not have the luxury of abstract reflection. When a sister or brother discloses harm, we must act. The tension is immediately felt. Scripture commands us to avoid partiality, to establish matters carefully, and to guard against false accusation. At th

Mar 17 min read

“Are We Demonising Men?

Domestic Abuse, Bias, and Telling the Truth in Love Every time we speak or write about domestic abuse, there is a familiar kind of response. The words vary, but the concern is much the same: “Are you painting men as monsters?” “Isn’t this all very one-sided?" “What about the men who are hurt by their wives?” “Women lie too. Isn’t this unfair?” Sometimes that comes from a sincere desire for fairness, a reluctance to see anyone, male or female, written off. Sometimes it comes f

Feb 277 min read

Secular Ideology or Biblical Obedience?

The Claim That Must Be Answered From time to time the claim is made that Breaking the Cycle or Hear Believe Act teaches a secular message. We are told that we have imported worldly ideology into the ecclesia. We are warned that we have displaced biblical principles with contemporary frameworks. The concern is framed as a defence of Scripture and of covenant faithfulness. Often the accusation is vague and unspecified, but sometimes critics within our community have more to sa

Feb 236 min read

Repair, Forgiveness, and Healing

Untangling forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust in the context of domestic violence Domestic violence is not merely “marital difficulty.” It is a pattern of oppression, (often hidden, often minimised, often spiritualised) where one person uses power to restrict another’s liberty, voice, and safety. In that setting, Christian language can be misused: “forgive and forget,” “reconcile,” “submit,” “don’t involve authorities,” “it takes two,” “God hates divorce.” Scripture does

Feb 104 min read

Seven Sane Reasons a Wife Says “No” in an Oppressive Marriage

When a wife in an oppressive relationship says “no” to sex, it is usually not selfishness. It is sanity. Here are seven deeply understandable reasons: She feels unsafe. Past threats, rage, or physical force have taught her that sexual access is dangerous. Saying “no” is self-protection, not rebellion. Her body is exhausted or in pain. Chronic fatigue, childbirth injuries, medical conditions, or trauma responses mean sex is physically or psychologically painful. A “no” is a ba

Jan 212 min read

Rape in Marriage: Why “Biblicism” Can Become Spiritual Abuse

There are few sentences more revealing than this one: “When ‘mutuality and voluntary giving’ is present there is no need for force or fear, unwanted sex does not exist, non-consensual sex does not occur, and rape in marriage is a vicious fabrication.” That is not just a bad take. It is dangerous teaching. For the purpose of this article, by "biblicism" we mean "treating the Bible like a dictionary of unrelated quotes rather than a cohesive library of books" . It can mean othe

Jan 219 min read

By Their Fruit: Seeing and Responding to Coercive Control

A call to see clearly, love courageously, and live faithfully. When Jesus warned that we would “know them by their fruits,” he gave us a profound diagnostic tool — not only for discerning teachers but for seeing truth in human relationships. The new guide By Their Fruit: Seeing and Responding to Coercive Control applies that teaching with clarity and compassion to one of the most hidden and harmful sins in our families: coercive control. This 47-page guide is published by Ch

Oct 12, 20258 min read