Christians, do you think a registered sex offender should be allowed to be an ordained minister?
Check out the story on this link: http://www.whas11.com/topstories/stories/whas11-topstory-090904-sex-offender-minister.14a21b80a.html
What are your thoughts about this?
2009-09-07T15:22:11Z
@ Bill C: The report said that Hourigan was charged back in 1998 with sodomizing, sexually abusing and intimidating an 11-year-old boy. So, no, we are not talking about a harmless act that happened when he was a kid. We are talking about an adult who raped, abused and intimidated a child. Hourigan did not have consensual sex with someone his own age so under the law, and rightfully so, he is a sex offender.
space monkey2009-09-07T13:19:49Z
Favorite Answer
NO. God can, and does, deliver people from hideous things. And God can change and forgive someone. But, that person still should perhaps not be a pastor of a "flock".
Such a man, if he really is saved and changed- he might work with a mission who works with the homeless or the like but not to families.
It doesn't take much to be listed as a sex offender. I heard of one case the other day where two boys in their early teens had sex together. One of them admitted he was gay, and was listed as a sex offender. The other denied being gay, and was not listed. The one kid will have the label of sex offender following him all his life (unless the law changes), for consensual sexual activity with someone his own age.
So before answering whether or not a registered sex offender should be an ordained minister, I would want to know if we are talking something harmless that happened when he was a kid, or if we are talking pedophile or rapist.
I suggest restricting his ministry to adult sex offenders. He can then be God's instrument in reaching out to modern day lepers. If this guy can bring sex offenders to Christ it will preclude them from molesting children. I have written an article titled, "Saving Pedophiles Through Jesus Christ"; if you want a copy send me a personal e mail.
Jesus would never reject a born-again sex offender, but He certainly would protect the children.
Pedophilia is incurable perversion. Scientists have tried for 50 years without success. Not one has been healed. I think the common man has lost even a cursory understanding of "perversion". Oh well, we do not learn from history, so we get to, once again, learn from experience!