Shoot the Pedophile

I can't say that this year has had more disturbing stories in the news of male pedophiles as any other year, but it seems like we have seen more stories come from the most unlikely places. 

When stories began to break a few years ago of all of the Catholic clergies involved sexually with young men, the response was more like, "Yea, we knew this mess was going on for years!" People were less shocked by the revolution of such abuse going on in the pulpit, than they were angry that it went on so long with mere slaps on the wriest for such perverted actions. 

However, this year when stories began to break of alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse by men who were the spiritual leader of a charismatic church and coaches of prestigious institutions of higher learning, we all held our breath in dismay while regurgitating at the repulsive thought of such behavior. How could a bishop of a mega-church, in one of the gayiest cities in America, do such a thing. I mean he marched and protested the sodomite communities agenda in America. He preach fire and brimstones against their lifestyle. And many of us prayed, "God say it ain't so!" Many of us still hold our breath, praying that those allegations were truly lies and just that, allegations. 

Then news ripped the college athletic world of a charitable pedophile! By now, we had lost all of our feelings of innocent until proving guilty. We had seen the cover ups of the Catholic church, and the lies that has shaken the foundation of it's conservative teachings. Now, we say, "shoot all the pedophiles! Ask no questions...just shoot them! They are guilty!" 

While I would say we can't move with haste to believe every story of pedophilia, I'm glad that for once victims are not the bad guys (for those who are victims). 

But I have to wonder just how many perverts are allowed to push the truth under the rug for the benefit of the institutions? Personally...well this is a very touchy subject for me. I know the feeling of being forced to carry the secret of what the freak was allowed to do, while they move on with their lives like nothing has ever happened. In all honesty, the scare can only be removed by God's grace and not time. 

So this week when I saw the story of a Houston area youth pastor who took advantage of his position of power to lure young girls into sexual relationships with him, one virtually, I thought how in the devil did he obtain a get out of jail free card. At least twice this monster who hid behind the Bible, was caught, put in jail and sent home to continue his preying on the weak! 

Now let me say this, I love God's church! But how long can the church turn a blind eye, cover up or pretend that a prayer and an apology can give back the innocence that has been lost? It is both a sin and a crime and pedophilia must be punished! If we, the institutions, fail to allow these individuals to meet their due justice then we should not be surprised when fathers and mothers decide to take justice into their hands. In time someone will serve justice.