Cast the 1st Stone: Register All Sinners?

[rizen1]

Evansville (Ill.) COURRIER PRESS
January 5, 2009
OPINION

OFFENDERS AMONG US
Past sins listed,not explained,in sex registries

I pastor a church in the cozy town of Omaha, Ill. A friend here recently confided in me that a number of people are concerned that a "child molester" has been attending my church. He asked if that is really true. Then he said, "This has been a big dark cloud hanging over your entire operation there."

Well, the guy was no "child molester." (And even if he had been, it would be irrelevant.) Over 15 years ago, as a stupid 20-year-old, he flashed a couple of minors, and he paid dearly. He admits he was wrong. But he now has a wife, a son, a good job and is one of the finest Christian men I know. I have five children, and I trust him with them. Unfortunately, a person can get labeled as a "sex offender" whether he urinated in public, physically assaulted someone or did something in between. But when the state requires a person to register, everyone assumes the worst. I never heard anyone say, "A sex offender moved into town. I hope he doesn't pee outside!"

I do understand the desire to have an online registry. While I have known the guy for years, I don't know those other guys.

Perhaps we should even expand the Internet registry. Then we could be even better protected. Before letting customers in your store, check the thief registry to ensure they never shoplifted as teenagers. Consult the marijuana registry to guarantee your baby sitter never smoked dope 20 years ago.

Are some sins worse than others? Display everyone's sins online and let readers decide for themselves.

It could expand even further. Screen potential dates through an online adultery database. Screen potential employees and friends through an online liar registry and gossip database.

If we create Internet registries to expose everyone with skeletons in their closets, those registries will contain everyone in your phone book. Everyone has the potential to hurt us.

If someone commits a heinous crime and is a danger to society, we have options such as execution and life in prison.

But it is nonsense to tell a person he is "free" to live normally in society, while broadcasting his past sins on the Internet.

If we must have registries, we need to include everyone's sins, not just a select few.

Repentance and forgiveness are what Christianity is all about. So after my friend informed me about the "big dark cloud" that has been hanging over my church, I responded something like this: "If you know any repentant murderers, adulterers, child-molesters, drunks, wife-beaters, liars, thieves or gossips who need Jesus, you send them to me. I'll gladly give them a warm welcome!"

Paul was a murderer, Peter denied Christ, King David was an adulterer and a murderer, and Solomon had lust issues. Yet God worked wonders through them, wouldn't you agree?

How many of your past sins do you want others to see online?

How much grace and forgiveness do you yourself wish to receive?

Contact Joseph Gleason at [email protected].

 

[johnpaul]

Putative sex offenders attract the 'witch hunt' brigade. These people are not involved in child protection. They just wanna hurt someone and be praised for it.

 

[today]

you know i have heard this story and many like it and yes the Laws are unjust in the actual implementing of them and The Goverment Is not God and They Do Not, and Will Not, Ever, Forgive the Way God Does. They will never be able to be able to judge the truth in A Mans Heart.
Yes it is wrong to keep punishing a man or woman for some thing they repented of and they did not repeat that sin.
the adversary has used that tool to stop many men, from having an impact in the move of GOD.
I Commend you on your stand and If more CHRISTAIN LEADERS WOULD STAND UP(sorry about yelling) i better stop right there for now.

 

[nEw.CrEaTiOn]

Well...this issue is a tough one for me. I understand that we should be forgiving and everything. And yes, God is the ulitmate judge who forgives us. I have to say I do agree with the sex offender registry though. I understand that there are innocent exceptions such as the one you mentioned, but there are also some not-so-innocent cases as well. As for the examples given, such as marajuana or shoplifting...those stay on your record too. (Background Check) It's also a safety issue. I hold no harsh feelings to those who have made mistakes before, especially when we don't know the full story. However, we should be able to keep our children safe.

Yes God forgives, but since when has our government been like God? If that was the case, then if you kill someone, but were sorry about it....no jail time for you mister, and no one has to know that your a serial rapist. That doesn't make sense either. The bottom line is we live in a sinful world, and no one is perfect. Our government sure isn't perfect, and I dont expect it to be.

We don't want someone with 3 counts of child molestation to be working at a day care center. It's not just for sex offenders. Pharmacists cant have drug abuse on their record. It's our right to know how to keep people safe. "Sorry" doesn't change much for our government. We should just forgive them in our hearts and not hold resentment.

It's not my place to say, but I think your outlook might change on this a little bit if you have children ( I dont know if you do....im just sayin) and if you have had a family member or child affected by the acts of a sex offender. My family was traumatized by something like this, and I believe the person who commited the crime should be on the registry. It's a parent's right to keep their child safe. Good topic, but eh...not something I really have a problem with. Judging is a heart condition, not a governmental one.

 

[Coconut]

Paul was a murderer, Peter denied Christ, King David was an adulterer and a murderer, and Solomon had lust issues. Yet God worked wonders through them, wouldn't you agree?

And how do we know these things about these men? God recorded their offenses in the Scripture forever for all the world to see...

I have to agree with new creation. I think it must be too easy for the Pastor to be so glib about this subject, and in my opinion, his letter expresses a prideful ignorance and gross lack of [Godly] wisdom on a matter he should make it a point to be better informed about, considering his position of trust. He is also comparing a man who committed a foolish teenage act to that of sexual predators. One is a far cry from the other.

Would he speak so carelessly if one of his own young children was exploited and emotionally, mentally, or physically raped by a pedophile in his town? (these all have the same traumatic effect on a child) I somehow doubt it, I think he might become the town crier for petitioning the authorities to inform the public when a predator has moved into his neighborhood. It is pretty common knowledge that pedophiles rarely lose their 'urge' despite all attempts to rehabilitate them. I truly think they would have to become a new creature in Christ for that to happen.

I`ll also gladly welcome the repentant murderers, adulterers, child-molesters, drunks, wife-beaters, liars, thieves or gossips who need Jesus, but forgiveness is one thing, trust is another. I will never mindlessly trust a person who was a sexual predator alone with my children, or children`s children, in this lifetime.

The Word teaches 'let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.' The sad reality is, not everyone who names the name of Christ, is converted, and not everyone who says they are sorry has really repented, sometimes they are just feeling sorry for themselves, and how their sins have affected them.

One of our own children, along with a few other youth in this area, had to suffer the emotional trauma of the attempts of a predator in the 'church' to sexually exploit them. This man was also married with two beautiful little girls, and was Youth Leader in the church. We only found out after the fact, from the Assistant Pastor, that their boy has been subjected to the same exploitation a year earlier. The Pastor, along with his Assistant, and Deacons, made the decision to quietly remove the 'repentant' man from Youth Leadership, but chose not to reveal what he had done to the 'church' to protect his reputation, and in so doing, put every young person in this area at risk.

If the Lord had not revealed to me that my son was in danger with this man, I do not even want to think about how far he would have gone to exploit him. We never allowed our son to return to that church, and as far as I know, to this day that man sits as tall as life in their pews.It is as I told the Board members of this church, who attempted to give me a lecture all too similar to the one written by the Pastor above, for not allowing my son to return,

'I am not going to send my sheep into a pen that provides shelter to a wolf'


BBE 1Co 5:2 And in place of feeling sorrow, you are pleased with yourselves, so that he who has done this thing has not been sent away from among you.
1Co 5:3 For I myself, being present in spirit though not in body, have come to a decision about him who has done this thing;
1Co 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you have come together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
1Co 5:5 That this man is to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may have forgiveness in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1Co 5:6 This pride of yours is not good. Do you not see that a little leaven makes a change in all the mass?
1Co 5:7 Take away, then, the old leaven, so that you may be a new mass, even as you are without leaven. For Christ has been put to death as our Passover.
1Co 5:8 Let us then keep the feast, not with old leaven, and not with the leaven of evil thoughts and acts, but with the unleavened bread of true thoughts and right feelings.
1Co 5:9 In my letter I said to you that you were not to keep company with those who go after the desires of the flesh;
1Co 5:10 But I had not in mind the sinners who are outside the church, or those who have a desire for and take the property of others, or those who give worship to images; for it is not possible to keep away from such people without going out of the world completely:
1Co 5:11 But the sense of my letter was that if a brother had the name of being one who went after the desires of the flesh, or had the desire for other people's property, or was in the way of using violent language, or being the worse for drink, or took by force what was not his, you might not keep company with such a one, or take food with him.
1Co 5:12 For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you;
1Co 5:13 As for those who are outside, God is their judge. So put away the evil man from among you.

 

[dchena]

The registry was created for a reason - because sex offenders are a unique breed of criminal. They are prone to reoffend and reoffend and reoffend. ESPECIALLY those who target young people and children. There was a cry for such a registry. That's why it is there.

Yes, some sins are worse than others. That doesn't mean that there isn't forgiveness, or authentic repentance, but some sins destroy other people's lives more than others. Can you honestly not conclude a difference between someone breaking into my house to steal some CD"s for drug money and somebody raping a child?

Maybe there are some problems with the registry. Maybe there are people who get put on it because they have exposed themselves in public - but I doubt it. I do know that it is very difficult to get someone on that registry. It takes hard and true evidence and convictions. People are not put on there with little consideration or without need to warn the public of their safety in the presence of these individuals.

Given the cleverness, scheming and lying abilities of this breed of predatory offender, and their proven effectiveness to win the trust of parents and children, I would be very careful around someone who is on that registry. Do your research. And be absolutely certain about whether or not there has been an injustice - without relying on ANYTHING the offender has said. Protecting our children and families from sex offenders is more like protecting them from Satan than protecting them from man. They can rip your world apart.

If you had a sex offender preaching of his transformation from what he was to becoming a new person in Christ, owniong up to everything he has ever done, and trying to change those who are like who he was, and laying his life on the line like Paul did, then I will accept that comparison. But we don't see a whole lot of that at all.

To forgive, does not mean to let down every defense to protect your kids. Forgiving a person for what they have done does not mean having to trust them. In fact, keeping them in a way where they are prevented from commiting anymore such crimes is protecting them as much as it is protecting you, if you want to look at it that way. By doing so, you are helping to keep them from damaging their own souls by damaging someone elses.

In God's eyes, no sin is unforgivable, but even He has requirements for that to happen.

There is no way I would take such a risk as to trust someone who is on the sex offender registry with my children. No way. I won't condemn him, but I'm not gonna trust him.

 

[Coconut]

Very well said dchena.

 

[spirit1st]

We must forgive if others repent and repent means to be sorry and turn from that sin!

The boy a few houses down was going with a 17 tenn year old and he was 18. Now he is a sex affender!
I think he went to jail a few years?
But now i heard they are married!
He is still listed I know!

 

[shipwrecksoul]

RIZEN post
Unfortunately, a person can get labeled as a "sex offender" whether he urinated in public, physically assaulted someone or did something in between. But when the state requires a person to register, everyone assumes the worst. I never heard anyone say, "A sex offender moved into town. I hope he doesn't pee outside!"

Dear Rizen yes I believe Gods grace and mercy can set at liberty those who have done foolish things like assault or as you put it something done in between. But, maybe I am wrong, because your statements can be applied to either unsaved or saved Where are the lines drawn in the sand. I see the explanation of you defending someones honor to do right but no guide lines to bring accountability, like for instance the Catholic church. You did not share with us the persons remorse over these acts.
Let me share a story as you did but about another individual who last I checked is still a Pastor. He was, as he said, called into the ministry. While attending as a twenty some odd year old in Pastor school he was playing around going all the way with under 18 year olds who he took advantage of. Now we all know that at the end of our lives it would amount to a hill of beans but the intergrity of his ministry is in question, not the Lords. How many others has he abused while counseling how many marraiges has he destroyed. After he was ordained a few years later I was asked to go to a wedding in which he was the Pastor officiating the wedding. As he was about to do the ceramony I notice something unusaul about him, he was looking all of the Godly women up and down droolin. I know this is hard to believe but nowadays people just want love love love as not to be percieved as jugemental because an act of accountability is asked to be put in play. So before anyone of us can get off our high horses lets remember that rules are not meant to be broken as some of us would like us to believe!

I certainly hope Rizen is only foolin with us.
Because yes there is grace but we reap what we sow, we have to live in the Lords strength the consequences of our actions!

 

[shipwrecksoul]

Anyone who is focused on just love and forgiveness is usually someone not focused on repentance and living with the Lords help the consequence. This thinking, for the person who is just focused on love and forgiveness, is usually someone who stands behind an inclusive Gospel. God is good so God must allow everyone into heaven. The person who is focused on grace mercy repentance and consequence is usually focused on an exclusive Gospel. <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSHARON%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="time"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Some people have an Idea that God is inclusive for mans eternal destiny, that all religions and all people will be saved. That God will allow all of mankind to enter into heaven because everybody is good so God must be fair and include everyone! It is true God does love the whole world but God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior. To keep this simple man has a problem called sin in which man refuses to believe that there are eternal consequences for having sin, which is a one way ticket to hell. God is holy and he will not allow anyone with sin to enter into heaven. God is hurt and angry about our sin, we have broken his laws. But God is just and good and he knows our need so he provided a solution to our problem. His solution to our problem is to have our sins removed by having our sins placed on someone else, a sacrifice for us; paying for the penalty of the sin we have in our lives. So that someone else would get the penalty of Gods wrath and separation on him that was meant for us. So God sent his son Jesus on a mission from heaven to earth as our sacrifice to die on the cross on our behalf after this happened three days later Jesus came back from the dead, alive. But that’s not all remember I wrote that God is exclusive about mans eternal destiny without the Savior? The only way that Gods promise can be applied to your life is for you to turn from your way of thinking and know that your sin offends and hurts God and call on the Lord Jesus who’s alive to save you. Your sins are then transferred to Jesus for what he did at the cross, dying and being abandon by God because of your sins, for you and because Jesus arose from the dead he is alive you can now enter into a relationship with God. Will you call out to Jesus to save you? It’s your choice to enter in exclusively with God’s grace for you. Where will you want to spend eternity after hearing Gods promise for you?
If the answer was yes that you do want Jesus as your sin bearer, Savior, and you do believe God raised Jesus from the dead you can pray with your voice.
“Dear Jesus save me.”
Acts <st1:time minute="21" hour="20">20:21</st1:time> Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CSHARON%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" name="time"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]-->

 

[rizen1]

RIZEN post

I certainly hope Rizen is only foolin with us.
Because yes there is grace but we reap what we sow, we have to live in the Lords strength the consequences of our actions!

I'm not sure I understand your statement

 

[shipwrecksoul]

Walking by the Spirit

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<o> </o>
Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
<o> </o>
It’s your decision on what you do in life. Now if you’re Born-Again and if you want to walk by God’s grace, God’s way then you gotta go all the way with him in his leading you through your life on everything asking for direction. So my friend even if your buddy is on every list imaginable God knows his heart if it’s in service for him, The Lord sees everything. But I must ask you does your friend know his own heart in the Lords strength for him? A word of note there are glorious testimonies of people who were in Jail who know that they have to live the consequence of their life actions even though they are Born-Again living with God’s grace for them to name a couple David Berkowitz and Tammy Baker she was executed for the crimes she committed but was OK with the list she was on as a murderer. She is Born-Again and is with the Lord right now! David Berkowitz is in jail for life. And he will admit gladly to the list he is on as admitting to killing two people, which he knows carries a life sentence. I certainly hope Risen that your question for your friend of not knowing what a Born-Again person response is in connection to what God said in the verse above, Gal 6:7 .

 

[rizen1]

I'm still lost...what buddy ?