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Straining out a Gnat
and Swallowing a Camel
I never cease to be amazed at the hypocrisy that we
see in public life in America. There
is little balance or consistency in many areas of public
policy. This
came to my mind this morning as I glanced at a newspaper
notice of a man’s sentencing. This
is how the article began:
Fort Worth man, 58, is sentenced for fondling
A
58-year-old Fort Worth man pleaded guilty Monday to indecency
with a child and must register as a sex offender for the
rest of his life after fondling an 11-year-old. Michael
Toland was also told to perform 200 hours of community
service; complete sex offender counseling; have no unsupervised
contact with minors; not go to places where minors tend
to congregate; and adhere to many other sex-offensive-related
conditions that apply to all felony offenders, according
to the Parker County district attorney’s office. Additionally,
Toland must pay a $2,000 fine, and he was placed on 10
years’ deferred-adjudication probation by 415th District
Court.
Although we are not the court and have nothing to do
with sentencing criminals, we wouldn’t doubt the justice
of this sentence. Was
it right that this man be held guilty for this crime? Was
it right that he be tried and convicted of this offense?
Was it sinful and wrong? Indeed,
what he did was wrong and sinful and worthy of such a sentence. He
did a heinous deed that should have been punished. All
of those who abuse children should suffer for their crimes.
But something is wrong here. In
the same newspaper we read of the beginning of the education
program that will allow openly practicing sodomites to
serve in the American military. Here
is a government that would give its “stamp of approval” on
an utterly perverse, unnatural and sinful activity and
relationship. And
yet, the same government issues a harsh (and justified)
punishment on fondling. Something
is not equal here. Something is unjust here. Something
is hypocritical here.
Think of the vast immorality that is perpetrated in
this “land of freedom.” At
least half of teenagers are actively involved in the sin
of fornication. Half
of married couples “lived together” in open fornication
before marriage. Vast
numbers of marriages end in divorce and most of the couples
marry other partners, thereby committing adultery. Even
while married, great numbers of partners confess to committing
adultery against their spouse.
Why is it that this country can allow and even promote
such extensive sexual immorality while at the same time
handing down a harsh sentence for “fondling”? Yes,
let the fondler be rightly punished. But
let’s not hypocritically think that all other sexual sin
is permissible. While
society may accept this inequity, God does not have closed
eyes to this wickedness and hypocrisy. “Because
of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing
up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation
of the righteous judgment of God” (Romans 2:5).
--Richard Hollerman
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