Yes, but the reality is that we as humans don't know if people's conversions, repentance, or even their belief in God are truly genuine, only God knows that.
As a result, its quite difficult to know how such people should be treated as humans when they have done something truly repugnant and evil. Something naturally feels seriously wrong about allowing such people to do, well, anything, in a church or in a community.
Would you ever let your children near a """former""" child rapist who says he converted to Christianity and wants to teach Sunday School? Common sense would tell you no, and you'd be a fool to do it, and I'd condemn anyone who was brainless enough to let their children near such a person.
My viewpoint is that human forgiveness is largely a personal thing, done for your own sake and heart rather than for the other person. If they have done something evil, they should still face the consequences of earthly justice for it, even if they've sought forgiveness and even if the person has forgiven them. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation or allowing unconditional trust. If we're talking about forgiveness from God, that's between the person seeking it and God, but we don't know what will happen to them, we aren't mind or heart readers and we have to do the best with what we do know.
No disagreements. Absolutely God knows their heart and while I’d be happy to share Christ’s message with such a person you would be crazy to have them around kids. As with Son of Sam, I hope he is truly repentant but I don’t know.
Completely agree with you about forgiveness and reconciliation
I might even go so far as to argue that putting a repentant man around children would be leading them to temptation. Would it be right for a Christian to offer a former alcoholic a drink?
Would you ever let your children near a """former""" child rapist who says he converted to Christianity and wants to teach Sunday School? Common sense would tell you no, and you'd be a fool to do it, and I'd condemn anyone who was brainless enough to let their children near such a person.
Forgiving that person does not require you to do any of that. Not even a little bit.
I think the reason people have this idea is because misbehaving people in ministry subvert the doctrine to guilt trip the church into letting them back into power.
My viewpoint is that human forgiveness is largely a personal thing, done for your own sake and heart rather than for the other person. If they have done something evil, they should still face the consequences of earthly justice for it, even if they've sought forgiveness and even if the person has forgiven them. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation or allowing unconditional trust.
Absolutely, that's exactly what the Bible teaches. Look at David after he stole Bathsheba from Uriah and murdered him. He was forgiven, but still punished with the death of the first child from that marriage.
Yes, but the reality is that we as humans don't know if people's conversions, repentance, or even their belief in God are truly genuine, only God knows that.
As a result, its quite difficult to know how such people should be treated as humans when they have done something truly repugnant and evil. Something naturally feels seriously wrong about allowing such people to do, well, anything, in a church or in a community.
Would you ever let your children near a """former""" child rapist who says he converted to Christianity and wants to teach Sunday School? Common sense would tell you no, and you'd be a fool to do it, and I'd condemn anyone who was brainless enough to let their children near such a person.
My viewpoint is that human forgiveness is largely a personal thing, done for your own sake and heart rather than for the other person. If they have done something evil, they should still face the consequences of earthly justice for it, even if they've sought forgiveness and even if the person has forgiven them. Forgiveness is not the same as reconciliation or allowing unconditional trust. If we're talking about forgiveness from God, that's between the person seeking it and God, but we don't know what will happen to them, we aren't mind or heart readers and we have to do the best with what we do know.
And what we do know is terrible.
No disagreements. Absolutely God knows their heart and while I’d be happy to share Christ’s message with such a person you would be crazy to have them around kids. As with Son of Sam, I hope he is truly repentant but I don’t know.
Completely agree with you about forgiveness and reconciliation
I might even go so far as to argue that putting a repentant man around children would be leading them to temptation. Would it be right for a Christian to offer a former alcoholic a drink?
True.
Forgiving that person does not require you to do any of that. Not even a little bit.
I think the reason people have this idea is because misbehaving people in ministry subvert the doctrine to guilt trip the church into letting them back into power.
Absolutely, that's exactly what the Bible teaches. Look at David after he stole Bathsheba from Uriah and murdered him. He was forgiven, but still punished with the death of the first child from that marriage.