Think Christian has a really deep and relevant post that asks, "Would your church welcome a convicted child molester?" The post was spurred by a New York Times article that features a story about a California church that is currently facing this issue. The New York Times article opens like this:
On a marquee outside and on a banner inside, Pilgrim United Church of Christ proclaims, “All are welcome.” Sustained by the belief that embracing all comers is a living example of Christ’s love, Pilgrim now faces a profound test of faith....There are ministries for ex-drug addicts, alcoholics, ex-porn stars and ex-homosexuals. Why not a ministry for this?
So what do you think? And more importantly what do you think the Holy Bible says about it all?
(photo by Donald Davis)
5 comments:
Check out this article. http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2007/001/13.52.html It's not all directly speaking to this but it's worth the read. As believers, none of us are saved by our own merit and it is a miracle of God that we are now counted as those of the elect and therefore should. We must never forget it is a gift of God and not of works. Since this is true, we must rejoice in this man's salvation and welcome him as a brother with true humility and understanding, trusting not in any man's ability to walk uprightly but in the cleansing power of Jesus blood and propitiation for our (and his) sins.
James 2.8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.
12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your comments. Good scripture references. I'll check out that article.
I have to counsel a former sex offender daily. I am devastated by society's treatment of him and those like him. Obviously, obsessed offenders and unrepentent child molesters deserve societal precautions, but the civil and criminal procedures against those in repentence are machavalean. They might as well be wearing the letter "A" as in Hawthorne's Scarlet letter. They might as well have their hand cut off as in extreme Islam. The torment of his regret is bad enough. The torment of no hope is worse. A life time of ostracisation and shunning by the church is hell, even though he is completely repentent and quite respectfully scared of his own flesh. If anyone needed the 2 Corinthians restoration lest Satan take advantage, it is he. If anyone needed the restorative attention given the weaker vessel, it is he. But the graceless Christians are satisfied to shoot thier wounded. We are enraged with killin gbabies, but anyone who came near sex offenses enough to get dirtied or even encacerated, even if thye fled it after is branded and condemned foreve. Let a man steal, kill, backstab, or any other unrighteousness and they are "understood", ads having slipped up, and past is past. Now, think about this new muscle society is practicing and finding they can get away with. Ask yourself if the secular horror over sex offenders really a trend put in place as society practicing for segregating other future undesirables already black-listed, perhaps old people who use resources need for societal survival, jews who are "obviously" blameable for a list of things, Christians who are the scourge of progress. . . . It won't be substance abusers or any other favorite "OK" sin of the "good-old-boy" system that earns the new horrification. It doesn't need to make sense any more than the republicans being blamed for the hurricane devestation in Louisiana. It will be just well-practiced mass hysterical hate transferred onto the next group. Ever wonder why when we could do so much better by the sex offenders in investing real help that instead marking and paranoia is used? This ostracisation has grown the level of taking busses full of do-gooders on routes through a community to mark the house where sex offenders live. WHo will restrain anti social acts on them? Who will stand up for basic human rights for them? Apparently not the moral centers of the community, the churches, who are caught like deer in the headlights or like people stupified from watching too many crime TV untill the blood on the ground is in fact thier blood.
Thanks for taking the time to share your opinion about the issue.
"For God so loved the world He gave His only-begotten Son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life." Loving the seemingly unloveable is what God is all about.
I am grateful to have come upon this blog. My husband and I are in a position of sorting through this matter of "Jesus and the Sex Offender" as we are advocating for a young person being accused of such wrong doing. Up until now I hadn't found much honest talk. Sex, in general, seems to be the most "talked about -untalked about" topic in our society. When did fear take precidence over faith and forgiveness in the family of Christ?
I look forward to hearing from others.
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