MONROE, N.C. — Controversy now surrounds Pastor Bobby Leonard of Bible Baptist Tabernacle in Union County after remarks he made in a sermon, suggesting that rape victims are to blame for their assaults based on their clothing, have gone viral and ignited widespread condemnation.

The remarks from the now-disgraced pastor perfectly demonstrate the toxic attitudes and victim blaming techniques that many men throw towards women, and how those attitudes can be shared and promoted with large audiences through certain religious organizations and their instruction.

In the widely circulated video, Leonard is heard stating his unwillingness to convict a rapist if the victim was wearing shorts, a statement that has been met with intense backlash online.

The sermon highlighted Leonard’s critique of women’s fashion choices, particularly the wearing of shorts instead of more traditional dresses or pants. “If you dress like that and you get raped, and I’m on the jury, he’s going to go free,” Leonard asserted, further adding, “I’m right, you know, because a man’s a man.”

“Is he trying to tell us that all men are rapists?”asked one Twitter/X user responding to the news. “I thought people like this were all dead. I was wrong,” posted another.

The backlash prompted Monroe resident Jason King to organize a protest outside the church during its Wednesday service. Speaking to a local news station, King emphasized the community’s stance against such rhetoric. “We don’t let people stand around in Union County in the pulpits and say something like this. That is wrong,” King remarked, underscoring the incompatibility of Leonard’s statements with the teaching of Christian values and accountability.

Christian Investigative Journalist Julie Roys also weighed in, sharing Leonard’s sermon to highlight the persisting issue of such harmful rhetoric within the church. “I just couldn’t believe that any pastor would actually think these things, let alone say them out loud in a sermon,” Roys expressed, concerned about the message’s impact on both men’s sense of responsibility and the victimization of women within the congregation.

Roys, known for her work with whistleblowers in the church community through the Roys Report, criticized Leonard’s comments as not only regressive but also dangerous, fostering a culture where women are unjustly held responsible for the actions of their assailants.

In response to the outcry, the church has yet to issue a formal statement but has displayed a message outside its premises reading, “I am sorry for any hurt; I was wrong,” an apparent acknowledgment of the controversy stirred by Leonard’s sermon.

The apology though wasn’t playing well online, where many people weren’t buying his sincerity.

“In no way is a sign on the street an apology from him. He needs to make a video, in front of the congregation,” said one women.