in the name of the Lord......

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33090795/ns/us_news-life/

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

It was said to be successful in the ministry you just have to keep your hands off the three Gs.
Gold, Glory and Girls....

It looks like Now we need to add some more letters.

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"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

Chrisians? Three's Company fans?

What I don't understand is at his last parole hearing he was not allowed to be a church leader or participate in any type of youth leadership....me thinks this guy is in violation of his parole....

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"It's normal for these things to empty your wallet and break your heart in the process."
2012 SLK 350
1987 420 SEL

Like Hitchens says. You can get away with anything in this society as long as you slap "reverend" after your name.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

That title, "Reverend" is so often misused that it really makes me sick. The ministers of my acquaintance use it only when forced to. They understand its meaning, and they understand that they are not worthy of the title.
The ones who least understand what it means are the first to use and misuse it.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

He's completed his parole so the conditions no longer apply.
It makes sense to me that they ordained him. If they refused ordination on the grounds that he is more likely to sin again, it's an implicit acknowledgment that God's redemptive power can't overcome all forms of human sinfulness. Since all sin is rooted in the same primal act of willful opposition to God, it can all be redeemed the same way. If God can't redeem a pedophile, then God also can't redeem the parishioner who had a lustful thought when he caught a glimpse of Mrs. Jones' upper thigh when she was slain in the spirit last week.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

So what's the difference in this case. The lack of worth is just a little more obvious.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

edit - Kerry comments removed.



The issue here is the same as "sex offender registration".

Either the convicted offender can be "safe for society" or not.

If he/she can - give them whatever prison is due, and however many years of probation is necessary to keep tabs, and after those commitments are satisfied, pat your legal system on the back and say "good job" while the ex-offender lives his/her life wherever he/she wants.

If he/she CANT be "safe for society", then throw his or her arse in prison for the rest of his or her life and throw away the key.

I believe that sex offenders can give up sexual offending if they want to. Ok so "...recidivism is highest..." in sexual offenders- that tells me that answer is more jail time/more probation/more of whatever lousy tactics we use to 'rehabilitiate' criminals as opposed to colored license plates and ankle bracelets for the rest of their life. I would think that pink license plates and ankle GPS would foment more hate in the mind of the ex-offender...a mind that needs all the help it can get.

Yes I am christian, and I do believe in forgiveness.

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

you are in the throes of a cult.

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"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

Tonk - I'm not arguing for or against what Kerry said- he's correct about the christian faith and the forgiveness thing. I dont see any persuasion for or against the subject from his post - I was serious in my text and glad that he didnt say "well, the guy was a pentacostal so screw him" - from what I read of what Kerry writes, he is a bigger man than that. Maybe I need more internet typing lessons.

In fact, I do need more internet typing lessons - I put a smilie in the wrong place and that phrase does come across wrong, I'll edit that after I hit send on this. its original form will stay in your quote.

if you want to give me flack about not citing facts, cite some facts that oppose my opinions about rehabilitation, or how our criminal justice system does a good job of rehabilitating criminals. Cite something that says "100% of sex offenders will act naughty again. Please....add to the discussion.

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)

A great many people take that title with no concept of its meaning, or their unworthiness. some see it as a ticket to bed certain types of women.
The same type of "preachers" are also attracted to the DD degree. Officially its a Doctor of Divinity, but its an honorary, not earned degree. Nevertheless they proudly display the DD after their name, presuming it gives some authority to their sham ministries.

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

This just fortifies my conviction that being a Christian does nothing to make a better person. A Christian is merely a member of one of numerous religions/groups/cults that dosen't have the ability to think for himself. (Herself if she's a girl-bible-banger).

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Don't Chrome them; polish them

Recidivism is high for pretty much every criminal offense.

I heard a preacher once say "Forgiving someone doesn't mean being stupid." By that he meant forgiving someone doesn't mean putting on blinders and pretending nothing bad could ever happen again. As a Christian I do believe God can change lives, but those lives are still far from perfect. Christians are still very capable of committing new sins in the future. If someone had a problem in the past, they must accept that it could still be a struggle for them later.

A minority of Christian groups believe in a doctrine called 'sanctification', where a devout believer becomes, for lack of a better term, 'immune' to temptation. It is possible that the church above subscribes to this belief. If that is the case, then Kerry's comments are especially relevant.

If there were such a person in my congregation, I would not support them entering any ministry where they were working around children. Even if they were changed beyond a chance of recidivism, the stigma would still adversely affect the ministry. And I, personally, would have no 100% guarantee of how free from temptation they were. I would also question why a reformed pedophile would desire to serve in a position of authority in a traditional church. That's similar to someone with a one year AA chip wanting to go to bartending school.

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Greg Schwall

1983 300SD - 465,000 miles

It is a common misconception that Christians are better people. To be fair, some Christians believe this to be the case--they feel they earned God's favor because they were one of these "better people".
The biblical perspective is quite different. Christians are no better than non-Christians--"All fall short of the glory of God". Paul addresses the church at Corinth ( I think) by describing a list of sins ( Idolators, sexual immoral, murders, etc), and then says, " And such were you". Luke, the doctor, records in his book of the Acts, , " For it is by grace that you have been saved thruough faith; it is not by the works you did so that no one may boast about it, It ( salvation) is the gift of God."

Many Christians endeavor to live a better life in appreciation for what God has done, but its not because they are, in any sense, "better people".

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags