Atheist Explains His Investigation of Ravi Zacharias

Guest Bios Show Transcript The new revelations concerning Ravi Zacharias have shocked much of the evangelical world, but they’re no surprise to Steve Baughman. Two years ago, Steve published an exposé on Ravi, revealing a pattern of sexual misconduct and deception by the famous apologist and those around him. Yet few paid any attention. On this episode of The Roys Report, Julie interviews Steve, an avowed atheist and lawyer, and explores why the red flags concerning Ravi were ignored for so long. They  also examine the evidence against Ravi and discuss what finally brought the issues to light. This is an intriguing, yet sobering discussion, raising serious issues about Christian celebrities and the complex web of leaders and institutions that protect them.  Steve Baughman Steve Baughman is a lawyer, musician, and part-time student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. In his legal work he represents Christians and Muslims fleeing persecution from China. He is also a determined investigator. Steve is the author of the book Cover-Up In The Kingdom: Phone Sex, Lies and God's Great Apologist, Ravi Zacharias.  Transcript SPEAKERS JULIE ROYS, RAVI ZACHARIAS, STEVE BAUGHMAN JULIE ROYS  00:04 The new revelations concerning Ravi Zacharias have been devastating. The man revered as the greatest apologist of the 20th century is being accused of being a serial sexual predator. And while much of the evangelical world is in shock right now, one man is not. Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I’m Julie Roys. And joining me today is Steve Baughman. Steve is a lawyer and the author of Cover-Up in the Kingdom. That’s an expose on Ravi Zacharias that was published nearly two years ago. So for two years, Steve Baughman has been sounding the alarm about Ravi Zacharias. That’s long before I published my series of articles on Ravi, or the recent pieces by World Magazine and Christianity Today. But very few headed Steve’s alarm. Perhaps that’s because Steve is an atheist and rightly or wrongly, many Christians have assumed that he was out to destroy the church. Yet I believe Steve has done the church a great service. Without Steve’s vast research and documentation, I believe none of what’s been reported about Ravi Zacharias would have come to light. It was Steve who reached out to me in May of 2019 and pleaded with me to examine the facts about Ravi Zacharias. It was Steve who mailed me a copy of his book. And on the inside cover he wrote, “Julie, thank you for your investigative work and for caring about integrity in ministry.” Friends, it was after reading Steve’s book that I realized that there were simply too many red flags to ignore. And it was after reading Steve’s book that I began investigating Ravi Zacharias and the sexting scandal, including Lori Anne Thompson. So I feel indebted to Steve Baughman. And as I’ve said before, I don’t think the church is ever served by covering up wrongdoing. And even when it’s painful, we have to face the truth about our leaders and our organizations. That is the only path to repentance, reform and restoration. So I’m very excited today to speak with Steve Baughman. But before I do, I want to thank the sponsors of The Roys Report, Judson University and Marquardt of Barrington. Judson is an evangelical Christian University in the Chicago area that I’ve been privileged to partner with for the past couple of years. What I’ve learned is that Judson’s president Gene Crume is committed to truth and accountability. And under his direction. Judson’s become a vibrant Christian community where students get the attention and the caring that they need. Judson has a small student to teacher ratio, experienced faculty and incredible facilities. For more information, just go to JudsonU.edu. Also, if you’re in the market for a car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can