Link: https://old.reddit.com/r/BestofRedditorUpdates/comments/1rbroi0/myf23_former_pastor_defended_larry_nassar_in_a/

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The original was posted on /r/bestofredditorupdates by /u/MadisonBrave on 2026-02-22 17:24:27+00:00.

I am not OOP. The OOP for this post is u/throwraowlcheesecake. His posts were made to r/OpenChristian, a community that while smaller than r/Christianity, prides itself on being more progressive and LGBTQ friendly with rules that don't allow anyone to speak negatively about them

Important Context: Larry Nassar was a Team USA Women's National Gymnastics Team doctor from 1996-2014, where he used his position to exploit and sexually assault hundreds of young athletes as part of the largest sexual abuse scandal in sports history. Nassar was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting at least 265 young women and girls over a 22-year period under the guise of medical treatment. His victims included numerous Olympic gymnasts, with some as young as six-years-old

OOP also added that the church was a Non-Denominational church

Trigger Warning: pedophilia, victim blaming minors

Mood Spoiler: unfortunate

Original Post: (February 11th, 2026)

I haven't lived with my parents since starting college, and I currently live by myself while working two jobs. I live a little over an hour away, but I come home for the holidays and other occasions, along with the Super Bowl this past Sunday. My parents are very religious, and I have a younger brother who's twelve. I always sleep over whenever I visit, and the only rule is that I must attend church (if staying on a Sunday) because mom doesn't want anyone home when they're not there, and that extended to friends and family since I was young. I was surprised when it extended to me since I grew up in their home, but I'm glad to no longer be forced to attend church every week. My dad always held a Super Bowl party since I was young, and I came up on Saturday to help set up as usual. This situation happened as a result of attending church on Super Bowl Sunday

Despite our pastor taking a moment to give his thoughts on the big game before the sermon, the situation came from something else he vented about, and that was the Winter Olympics. Ironically, it wasn't about any of the athletes who made political statements (which was surprising given his history with sharing political opinions). It was about something he and his wife discussed and felt led to share. Long story short, they advised their kids to change the channel if figure skating came on any of the broadcasts, and their reasons were harmful in my opinion. He said that some of the female outfits were "revealing" and not good to watch because it can lead to lust. He also went on about how "the world" finds ways to "normalize telling girls to dress inappropriately". He even said the Summer Olympics did the same thing with the uniforms that the female gymnasts wore... going as far as to call it "normalized p*rn" because their parents would "never allow them to wear a skirt that shows as much" as the uniform outside of the sport setting

He also said the uniforms "allowed creeps to watch with lustful intentions and not be questioned" because it was normalized, and he didn't like that possibility when one of his kids used to do gymnastics. He did, however, mention a rule change in recent years that allowed girls to wear shorts over their uniforms during competitions; something he supported and would've required his daughter to wear full-time if she still played. He also said it was unfortunate that the rule change and the female German Olympic team's full-body gymnastics uniforms happened after Larry Nassar's case because "no one wanted to point out the inappropriate uniforms" that he was "forced to be around" because there was an "agenda" to punish him. He also said that many girls were "playing the victim" because society "allowed them to". He even said Nassar "maybe wouldn't have done what he did" if not for the uniforms he was forced to be around, and I personally thought that that shifted blame onto the uniforms instead of his actions. His overarching point, aside from advising parents to consider turning the channel, was to be aware of how the world tries to push their kids to dress inappropriately by normalizing figure skating and gymnastics attire, and I disagreed with much of his message

My parents and I discussed it on the drive home, and I mentioned how I thought it was harmful to send that message. My parents disagreed from a purity perspective because they taught purity to us when we turned twelve. I think it's harmful because purity should be a personal choice instead of something instilled by your parents when you're just hitting puberty. I also disagree with how the pastor sexualized both sports and absolved Nassar by blaming the outfits, but they didn't have an issue with it. Heck, a few of the pastor's points received applause (including from my parents), and the whole thing ruined my mood. My mom also plans to inform one of our cousins' parents (whose daughter does gymnastics) about the rule change in case she doesn't know. And while that's fine on its own, I disagree with her motives behind it

The message shouldn't be that girls are responsible for the actions of those who sexualize them. They should wear shorts because they want to, not because they think they're doing something wrong by wearing appropriate clothing for the sport. I also felt the pastor was telling on himself and projecting onto the congregation, but my parents didn't see it that way. I helped them clean up for their guests when we returned, but left before the game as some guests began to filter in. My parents were disappointed and said it would've been better if I hadn't come at all, even though I'd helped set up. I'm more concerned with the message they told my brother and how Mom plans to relay it to my cousin. Needless to say, I'll never attend that church again, and I only did whenever I visited, like once a year. Does anyone have any experience with correcting a message from a parent that might be harmful to a younger sibling?

Update Post: (February 13th, 2026)

My father called me for the first time since we spoke on Sunday at their home, and he had the same tone as his text. He said it was disrespectful of me to leave early when they let me sleep over despite helping them set up. He also said he didn't appreciate having to tell guests why I left early, and he said he made up some excuse. I reiterated my disgust for the sermon and how they supported it. And in hindsight, I should've walked out and waited in the foyer. Granted, I couldn’t drive home because we carpooled, but I'm disappointed that I didn't. However, since the church encourages viewers to share their videos in the descriptions of their YouTube sermons and on social media, I decided to vent my frustration that way using malicious compliance. I left a review of the church that explained why I'll never attend again. I also mentioned how the pastor defended Larry Nassar and left a link to the sermon, along with a timestamp to when his rant began. The link will prove the truth of my review. And if they delete the video, it'll only make it louder (when the link leads to a page that says 'deleted video'). I also made an Instagram story about my disgust for the sermon and left a link to the YouTube sermon there too, and many of my friends have also told me their similar disgust

I've lost almost all of my respect for my parents, but that's nothing new unfortunately. I was debating cutting them off when I was in high school, but figured that going to college would provide space that'd help prevent that. I was wrong, but I shouldn't have been surprised. Them finding no issue with the pastor's rant is par for the course of how they still support a certain someone with strong ties to a certain list, and much of my teen years were annoying because of their obsession with that figure. They also loved it when our pastor got political in the past, and that's not what church should be. I return for one sermon simply because of my parents' home rule, and he spins the Winter Olympics into a rant defending Larry Nassar. It's always some new demographic every week with these people, and Sunday was a reminder of why I don't miss church

As a result of me not apologizing, Dad said I'm not allowed to come to next year's party, and that's totally fine with me. The other unfortunate part is that Mom talked to my cousin's mom about the sermon, and she agreed with much of it and said her daughter would be required to wear shorts over her uniform going forward because she was unaware that she could. Again, nothing wrong with deciding to wear them. But the message shouldn't be that women are responsible for creeps like my pastor who admitted to being unable to appreciate a sport because his mind is fixated on sex. I don't get why certain Christians like my parents are hyperfixated on it like with purity. My cousin's parents are also Christians, and they agreed with turning the channel from figure skating too. They'll probably do the same with gymnastics in two years, and my church (along with others I've researched) have had females wear t-shirts over their bathing suits at church gatherings with a pool, and I've attended parties with that rule since I was little. That doesn’t s...

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As a result of me not apologizing, Dad said I'm not allowed to come to next year's party, and that's totally fine with me. The other unfortunate part is that Mom talked to my cousin's mom about the sermon, and she agreed with much of it and said her daughter would be required to wear shorts over her uniform going forward because she was unaware that she could. Again, nothing wrong with deciding to wear them. But the message shouldn't be that women are responsible for creeps like my pastor who admitted to being unable to appreciate a sport because his mind is fixated on sex. I don't get why certain Christians like my parents are hyperfixated on it like with purity. My cousin's parents are also Christians, and they agreed with turning the channel from figure skating too. They'll probably do the same with gymnastics in two years, and my church (along with others I've researched) have had females wear t-shirts over their bathing suits at church gatherings with a pool, and I've attended parties with that rule since I was little. That doesn’t stop them from going to the beach where others aren't wearing t-shirts over their bathing suits, but you could go down the hypocrisy rabbit hole forever, and I'm ready to go low-contact. I won't be attending Christmas or Thanksgiving or any other gatherings they have. Granted, it sucks for my younger brother, but I need to worry about my own mental health first

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(Comments)

(davegammelgard): "What's actually happening is that the pastor is normalizing adult men being creeps and lusting after young girls. This is the way purity culture has worked for hundreds of years - girls are expected to be pure because men can't control themselves. It's not just true in Christianity, but also in Islam, and other cultures. This attitude is harmful to everyone because it reinforces that idea that "boys will be boys" and won't be held accountable, while girls are held responsible for what men do to them. They're "asking for it" if they dress a certain way or behave a certain way. Men need to be taught self control and responsibility. That's the real answer"

(Chaoticallyorganized) replied: "This is exactly what it is. No normal man watches figure skating or gymnastics with sexual thoughts towards underage girls. This pastor is unquestionably a disgusting human being and not safe to be around"

(exretailer_29): "If you read different sources on Larry Nassar he was sexually molesting all age females from 6-20. So it wasn't all about what some females wore. It was about power and Control and some deep seated evil that drove Larry Nassar. How can a "6-8" year old dress in an inappropriate manner? The onus was always on Larry Nassar. A female could be fully covered up and if someone has evil intentions it doesn't matter what outfit is being worn. It doesn't have to be just Larry Nassar it can be anyone who perceives the victim as being someone they can overpower or take advantage of. Many religious authorities do project their own misguided sexual feelings and I think that is a defence mechanism on their part. The pastor is wrong and I think your parents are too!"

Everytime some idiot brings up "let's talk about purity but we will skip males", all I think is " Because males are horny monsters that cant control themselves if they see a knee exposed. Such weak unpure wills"