The Cover Up of Michael Tait's Alleged Abuse

I'd seen some of the headlines on the alleged abuse that Christian singer and performer Michael Tait has been accused of, but David Farrier's article, "He's the Devil", tells a much deeper story and connects present day back to late 90's / 2000's politics and cover-ups in the Christian music industry:

DC Talk and The Newsboys were big. In Christian circles, politics, and in entertainment. But in the background of their success, dark secrets were hidden - and earlier this year an Australian journalist finally brought some of them to light.

If you're just waking up to how Christian Nationalism is overtaking the USA politically in the Trump era, this story is just one part of how it was seeded and fostered over the last 40+ years. Jesus and John Wayne by Kristin Kobes Du Mez should be almost required reading for anyone to begin to understand how deep the marriage of church and state has actually been.

The high and lofty, they see me as weak
'Cause I won't live and die for the power they seek, yeah
- "Jesus Freak", DC Talk

It's the gross hypocrisy of it all. Telling their listeners to not seek fame, fortune, and power all the while doing everything they could for just a little more power and control. Including protecting and covering up for an alleged abuser in their midst.

It's not too difficult to play armchair psychologist with Michael Tait, a man who would seem to be bisexual or gay, being forced to pretend he's not by a Christian music industry out of fear of losing ticket and music sales, who then uses that position of influence to allegedly abuse people. The irony being that the non-Christian world likely would have been much more accepting of him admitting to being gay. Obviously there are still plenty of men who abuse their positions of celebrity and power to take advantage of others, so who's to know how that alternate timeline would've played out?

What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus freak?
What will people do when they find that it's true?
I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak
There ain't no disguisin' the truth
- "Jesus Freak", DC Talk

I'm not trying to have pity for Michael Tait here, but imagine singing that night after night for 30 years thinking that if the evangelical Christian world really found out the truth about you, they would likely label you a freak rather than love you for who you are, regardless of sexual orientation. His label would have dropped him, band mates fired him, and he'd have lost everything.

To be clear, Tait deserves every consequence coming his way for his alleged abuse and the cover-up. So do people who covered up for him (band mates, label, music industry insiders, etc.) It shouldn't take the victims having to speak out for the truth to be made known. But his story is why it's so dangerous for Christians to play god with who's in and who's out, which "sins" are important (politically) and which aren't, and what gets defined as sinful.

Is this one for the people?
Is this one for the Lord?
Or do I simply serenade
The things I must afford?
You can jumble them together
My conflict still remains
Holiness is calling
in the midst of courting fame
- "What If I Stumble?", DC Talk