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.