Kabul Church Plan Ignites Backlash

KABUL —For the second time in two months, an Afghanistan church is facing opposition from residents who don't want the religious house constructed in an area zoned for it.

With a growing Christian community in Kabul Province, the Christian Center of Kabul wants to build on Highway A01. The project done in phases could take years to finish: a 52,000-square-foot church, with a community center and athletic fields.

Tonight, residents will appear in front of the board of commissioners to express their frustration with the Kabul Province Planning Commission's May 24 approval of the site plan. The meeting is slated for 6 p.m. at 1 South Public Square, Suite 200.

"I believe this has been approved and run through without public notice," resident Abdul Hussein said. "Why have a church nine times the size of Kandahar’s in the middle of a farming, residential community?''

Last month, plans for a separate mosque in Kandahar were soundly defeated when residents who were against rezoning the land mounted a campaign that raised suspicions about the church and its leaders. Opponents encouraged residents to write letters to the city commission, and stirred more controversy by questioning links to American military groups.

Hussein and other opponents say prejudice is not at the root of their opposition in Kabul Province.

"I'm Caucasian-Arabic," he said. "It's not an issue of diversity, race or religious freedom. I would say the same thing if it was a Muslim Mosque."

The Christian community is confused over the opposition. They have been good neighbors and residents in Kabul Province, they said.

Shortly after the devastating 2009 tornado, Christian families delivered 2,500 meals to those affected. They volunteered to help the community. They invited Muslims and Hindus alike to take part on their holidays.

When they announced their plans to build their dream facility, they also invited residents. They didn't expect a backlash.

Now they are answering to rumors of cannibalism, Christian doctrine and whether they will adhere to the laws of Afghanistan, said David Thompson, a physical therapist who has lived in Kabul since the 1980s.

"We have nothing to hide," Thompson said. "We do not have a hidden agenda. We're not affiliated with anyone. Where is the tolerance?"

Christians need room

Thompson said the Christian community, with 250 families, has outgrown its current location.

It's not uncommon for houses of worship to face opposition. Some opponents use traffic, zoning and any legal loophole as a smoke screen for their prejudices, said Ghassan Farooq, director of litigation for a Kabul-based nonprofit group.

"No one really comes out to speak against people, using traffic, which is malleable, to manipulate to the detriment of those applying for the property," he said.

Ibrahim Jabbar, a retired resident who opposes the church, questions the goals of those who practice Christianity.

"If their goal is to advance Christianity, advance their culture, then there is no real affection for our Afghan Law and the precepts we were founded on," Jabbar said, adding that Kabul Province also opposed a Qu’ran theme park.

Minister Christopher Allen wants to dispel any worries, and said any disagreements should be worked out. He had to answer tough questions from his own as well. A child asked, "Why do they hate us?"

"I said it's just a misunderstanding, miscommunication," Allen said. "I told him to love the people because one day they can love you, too."

See the original article this was based on.

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31

Flood

Hopefully, most of you are aware of the devastation that struck Nashville and the surrounding areas this weekend. I know that the national news hasn't covered it as much as the Times Square bomb or the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but I think word is getting out regardless.

The Wilsons, all facets of us are ok. Our house had a little bit of water in the garage from the deluge on Sunday, but nothing significant that couldn't be taken care of with some brooms and a sump pump connected to an outlet. My mom and dad's house was fine as well, since they are on a high hill, but much of their neighborhood was not. My sister Julie is fine, even though her house was cut off by an impromptu lake over the soccer fields where Connor plays. My brother is fine and had no issues, and my sister Sarah is good as well. We were fortunate.

Much of this city and especially the Bellevue area where we live are not good. Water got into places where it's never been before and had never been thought that it could get to. Neighbors of ours on our street had mudslides which brought significant amounts of earth into their yards and even trees onto their houses. Downtown has flooded from the Cumberland river and some of the poorer areas of Nashville have been affected as well, including a homeless encampment where Otter Creek has done work called Tent City was completely swept away.

Nashville is hurting. But Nashville is also stepping up. When volunteers for sandbagging were called for, people of all faiths and no faith banded together to save a water treatment plant from flooding and putting Nashville in even more dire straits with regards to water supply. And these sandbags were put together by inmates who volunteered for the duty to help the city where they are incarcerated. A movement has sprung up on Facebook and Twitter called "We Are Nashville." And it's not just for Nashvillians; it's for those that wish to stand in solidarity with Nashville. Those who have called it home and moved, or just those that sympathize.

But more importantly to me than Nashville stepping up, the church is stepping up. Due to many churches having experienced clean up in NOLA and the surrounding areas during Katrina, most of them know the task facing the city and how to respond. And to me that's one of the best ways that the church can be Jesus to an area that needs the church to be the Body of Christ, perhaps more than ever.

Just a couple of links.

If you want to keep up on the news within Nashville, www.nashvillest.com is one of the best ways.

If you want some tangible ways to help and you're in the Nashville area, my congregation Otter Creek has a lot of options on the home page www.ottercreek.org

If you're out of town and want a way to help, you can send gift cards to national store like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Target, Lowes, etc to the Otter Creek Church office at 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN, 37027 and those will be given to those who need them.

Thanks so much for your continued prayers for us.

"Miracle on the Hudson"

Yesterday, the term "miracle" got thrown around a lot as we read and listen to and watched the stories of the US Air flight that landed in the Hudson River. Maybe it's because 9/11 is still such a prominent scar on the American psyche, that to see a plane crashing in NYC brings back the flood of emotions that we dealt with that day.

Was what happened yesterday a miracle? Perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps it was "just luck" that allowed the pilot to land on the water just right.

But perhaps it was. Perhaps God orchestrated the conditions so that even if the crash with the geese happened, the pilot was the right man to be flying that day on that flight, the weather conditions were just right, and landing in the river was infinitely preferable to landing in the ocean. Of course, that leads to questions about why God would protect these people and not people in the Gaza Strip or people who might have died of AIDS or starvation around the world or those who died of exposure last night in the cold. But we also don't know the people still alive that might have died throughout the world. We just don't know.

I don't have any answers to those questions and outside a strict predeterminism/predestination mindset, I don't think we can. What I can do is thank God for the lives of those who were spared and mourn those who were lost, and even question God about those who weren't. Whether or not we get the answers we seek, I believe that God is big enough for our questions.

Torn or, Is It Really Bailing Out If You Don't Solve Anything?

I'm going to take a minor break from the faith stuff that I typically do on Fridays and talk about what many others are thinking about and it's the bailout stuff. Maybe you're tired of it, but for the last two weeks, I've been basically glued to the TV news stations with the coverage of the election and now the financial meltdown. As with many things, I'm of two minds on this, so let me share.

Fiscal Conservative:
Let'em burn. People can talk about CRA and lower income people taking out loans they shouldn't have and those are important points. But here's the deal. Wall Street got greedy. They (stereotyping for effect and ease of writing) wanted to keep their share prices up and keep themselves in power and so many of the financial firms got so deep into loans that they had 1) no business backing and 2) no business investing in that they deserve to go down. Was there governmental pressure on this as far back as Carter? Yep. More so with Clinton? Probably. But the enthusiasm with which the firms sold and invested in these loans was staggering. Were they so blinded by greed that they couldn't see what even I an English major/user interface designer could see? That the housing bubble had to pop and the whole meltdown could really happen? Or did they see it coming and just want to find the fine line between profit and meltdown?

And bailout? Why the frak should we bail them out? With my tax dollars! I work hard. I don't live extravagantly, outside my means. My wife is at home with our kids. We have a paid for car. We don't have credit cards. We give, we save. We pay our bills on time. Why should we bail out people who got so greedy that they screwed themselves? If I got in over my head in bad debt and investments, would Bernanke and Paulson ride to my rescue and take over my debt? I doubt it. So let'em burn. It'll be bad for a while, but those of us who can ride it out will be better on the other side and maybe we can stop basing our economy on bad debts and bad credit and pursuing the mythical "American Dream." Maybe the Americian Dream shouldn't be home ownership any more; maybe it should be having a $1000 emergency fund in the bank.

Bleeding-Heart Liberal:
Yeah, but if we do that, what about the people who are able to save and to pay and could potentially be roadkill in the path of a crumbling economy. If the financial institutions fail, what are the repercussions of that? How many jobs will be lost? How many more homes foreclosed?

And if the government mandated that loan regulations be relaxed to help low income families get houses, doesn't the goverment have a moral responsibility to help take care of the families that got into those loans and the businesses that enabled that? Even if there was too little regulation before, we've got to get it right now. The government needs to help solve what it helped cause.

Reality (or one version of it):
Look, there's almost assuredly going to be a bailout. It's mainly just the details that have to get worked out. What needs to be decided from this point on is whether the culture of greed in the financial markets will be held in check or if they'll view the bailout has helping them dodge the meltdown bullet. There will most likely be more banks to fail. There will be more businesses collapse, but unless the culture changes, it's just forestalling what seems to be inevitable at some point.

Time Off

I've got a several very busy weeks coming up in life and work, so I probably won't be blogging much for a month. I'll try to do it when I can, but it won't be very often. Talk to you when I return to blogland.

What Should Be Scaring Republicans

I was working out last night and watching the election results and I kept noticing the number of total voters between the Republicans and Democrats.

For instance, in Wisconsin:

Democrats
Obama 645,554
Clinton 452,590
Uninstructed 860

Total 1,099,004

Republicans
McCain 224,122
Huckabee 151,114
Paul 19,129
Romney 8,083
Uninstructed 852

Total 404,300

Twice as many voters in the Democratic Primary versus the Republican one. "But, Phil," you say, "the Republican nominee has basically been decided and all the Huckabee votes are protest conservative votes." Ok sure, that's a great point. So let's look at South Carolina when the Republican nomination was still in doubt.

Democrats
Obama 295,091
Clinton 141,128
Edwards 93,552
Kucinich 551

Total 530,322

Republicans
McCain 147,283
Huckabee 132,440
Thompson 69,467
Romney 67,132
Paul 16,054
Guiliani 9,494
Hunter 1,048

Total 443,065

So, only 90,000 difference in votes there, but that's still significant in a southern state and typically a Republican state. What that does seem to show me is that the Republicans are going to have to have a strong "get-out-the-vote" plan to match the fervor of the Democrats and McCain will have to play/pander to conservatives in order to keep them from staying home.

And on the Democrat side, whoever the nominee ends up being will have to work hard to keep their opponent's supporters going against them. It going to be a very interesting election.

What Happened Yesterday: Super Tuesday

(For my March 4 thoughts, they're here.)

Two years ago, I admitted that I love politics. I love the races and I watch both sides with equal interest. And while I've also admitted that I think politics is a very imperfect way to try and achieve the goals of the Kingdom of God, that doesn't dampen my interest in it.

I didn't get to watch much of the returns last night for Super Tuesday. Sheryl and I spent about a half hour or so in our basement with the kids as a tornado went fairly near our house and then continuing to watch the local channels as more came kind of near us, but some basic reactions to Super Tuesday.

First off, can someone explain why there's not a federal law calling for, if not one national primary, maybe four different ones in January, February, March, and April? It makes no sense that Iowa and New Hampshire to determine who the candidates will be.

Republicans

Sorry all you Huck-ers, Mitt-ites, and conspiracy theorists... I mean, Ron Paulines. McCain's got this one sewn up. He's got a ton of delegates and he might not have won a majority of votes in all the states, but he's really drawing from a lot of places. It's been very interesting for me to listen to conservative talk radio and how much people seem to HATE McCain. I guess I can understand why. But it seems that all the reasons that conservatives dislike him is why I do. It seems that his greatest offense is that he's worked with Democrats to pass legislation in Congress. I guess conservatives think that's compromising.

I know Justin will agree with me, but the media is really short changing a candidate in the Republican primary, but it's not Justin's candidate. Ron Paul deserves the little attention he's getting as evidenced by how he did last night. The candidate that had been pushed to the side was Huckabee. And he showed last night that he's still a force to be reckoned with. He's not going to be the nominee, but he showed that he has clout by winning in the South. People may disagree with him and might think that a vote for Huckabee is a vote for McCain, but it wasn't last night. Last night, a vote for Huckabee was another nudge toward making him the Vice President.

Democrats

For the first time in my life yesterday, I voted for a Democrat for president, Obama. There are things I will disagree with him on, but I honestly feel like he would do a good job as the president and could bring some unity to the political landscape.

Now, outside of that, I want to mention something. I was watching CNN before the storms came and there seemed to be some amazement about the idea that white people in the South were voting for Obama. Here's my theory: Because of the civil rights era and the predominance of African-Americans in the South, we have been forced to deal with our prejudices in a more open environment. We have had to come to terms in a way that perhaps other parts of the country might have not had to. Now, I haven't lived in other parts of the country. I've lived in Nashville my entire life so I may not have a proper perspective on it. But my sense is that, especially among people my age and younger, we don't judge someone on their skin color. Now we might judge on clothing or appearance or perceived economic status, but we don't judge on skin color, which is why Obama does as well as he does with younger voters and even younger white voters.

One thing is for certain on the Democratic side: this ain't over. It's still a horse race. One number I saw this morning said that there were over 14 million votes cast in the Democratic primaries and out of those, only 40,000 are separating Clinton from Obama. Whatever the case, it's going to be a ton of fun to keep watching on both sides.

Caption This Picture!

Be funny!

An Almost Perfect Sports Weekend and a great NYTimes article

Vandy won!

Titans won!

Red Sox won!

UT won... Oh well, I guess you can't have it all.

Also, Mike Cope linked to this article from the NYTimes that is really good and interesting about the changing face of evangelicals in politics. A quote from it

For the conservative Christian leadership, what is most worrisome about the evangelical disappointment with President Bush is that it coincides with a widening philosophical rift. Ever since they broke with the mainline Protestant churches nearly 100 years ago, the hallmark of evangelicals theology has been a vision of modern society as a sinking ship, sliding toward depravity and sin. For evangelicals, the altar call was the only life raft — a chance to accept Jesus Christ, rebirth and salvation. Falwell, Dobson and their generation saw their political activism as essentially defensive, fighting to keep traditional moral codes in place so their children could have a chance at the raft.

But many younger evangelicals — and some old-timers — take a less fatalistic view. For them, the born-again experience of accepting Jesus is just the beginning. What follows is a long-term process of “spiritual formation” that involves applying his teachings in the here and now. They do not see society as a moribund vessel. They talk more about a biblical imperative to fix up the ship by contributing to the betterment of their communities and the world. They support traditional charities but also public policies that address health care, race, poverty and the environment.

It's long, but it's a very, very good read.

And here's an interesting article that includes a response to it from GetReligion.org.

Deseg and Reseg: How it affects us

Kinsey is going to have to move schools. We're being rezoned. That's how it affects us. We haven't told her yet, because what good will it do? She can't do anything about it and it would just be a distraction from her school work.

Now for the real fun.

The other way that it affects us is that many of the inner city kids will not be a part of her life. Some might consider this a good thing, but honestly, I don't. Here's why. I went to high school at an academic magnet school downtown and then taught at one close by where at least 30% of the population had to be African-American. That's why MAGNET schools were created to draw white students to the inner city. One of the happy things that came out of that was an exposure to other races and ideologies that I would not necessarily have been exposed to. In high school, my circle of friends included a Korean, an Indian (subcontinental), a couple of white thrashers, and an African American. And we all just kind of hung out together and didn't worry about race.

What I worry about this is that our kids will not be exposed to different cultures to the extent that they were before. Are neighborhood schools a good thing? Yes, I think they are. And hopefully, in the inner city, they will encourage more parent involvement in the schools, but they also are de facto resegregation. And maybe we've been moving toward this for a while. Most private schools are de facto resegregation (and unfortunately, if you look at when most private and/or Christian schools were started here in Nashville, you'll see a sad correlation to when the desegregation court order was passed and enforced). When I was teaching and we had assemblies where kids could sit where they wanted, it was like the Red Sea parting: African Americans on one side, Caucasians on another. I don't think it was intentional racism; it was simply cultural affinity and comfort within that setting.

What I'm afraid that this rezoning will do is remove an excuse for people to have to interact with those different than themselves. I know that I'm a more rounded person because of my exposure to different cultures and races. And hopefully, we can help Kinsey and Connor do it outside of their school educational experience.

Desegregation and Resegregation

Very busy today, but here's where I'm going tomorrow, particularly with regard to how it will affect Kinsey.

School Zone Plan Rekindles Old Worries

Some Thoughts About the Jena 6

I realize that I might be stepping into a landmine here, but I have a question about the Jena 6 situation and protests that happened last week. First, let me state that I think that the hanging of the nooses over the "white tree" was reprehensible and it deeply saddens me that these attitudes still exist. I'm not naive enough to believe that racism and prejudice will ever disappear.

I also understand that there seems to be a serious miscarriage of justice in terms of how the African-Americans were treated by the justice system in this case. And that is something that I think deserves protestation.

Here's my question: Where are the statements from the African-American community that what the six young men did in beating up the Caucasian was wrong? It seems to me that the whole situation goes directly against the kind of mindset that Dr. King spoke about throughout his life. That by retaliating, the African-Americans stooped to the level of violence that had been intimidated to them and visited on them in at least one case. But in going six on one seems just as wrong.

Maybe I'm overromanticizing the Civil Rights era, because I'm white and I didn't live through it, but I get the sense that while Dr. King would have spoken and marched for equal justice for the Jena 6 that he would have been chastising as well about the use of violence by them. I could be wrong, and perhaps as a white man, I don't have a real context for thinking about racism, but I think there is fault on many sides of this one. I'll be interested to hear other thoughts

I Knew This Was Coming

Tattoo remorse fuels boom for dermatologists

It reminds me of the girl that once showed me the tattoo of a dolphin on her stomach. When I saw it, I rather untactfully said, "You realize that if you ever get pregnant that that's going to be a whale, right?"

And it also reminds me of this...

Priorities

The front page of CNN.com's International site at 3:50 PM yesterday afternoon.


And the front page of CNN's main/US site.

The difference is very curious to me.

And, while I hate to add to the noise surrounding Michael Vick, I have found two very interesting items I'd like to share.

This is a piece from ESPN.com written by Wright Thompson before the Vick plea deal about why so many African-Americans in Atlanta support Vick and distrust the FBI.

And this from the Daily Show last night...

Freedom of Blogger

Something different on this Thursday.

There has been a saga developing about Kat Coble's experience with a "recruiting" "firm," JL Kirk & Associates. Brittney Gilbert at Nashville Is Talking has the play by play run down. I won't say much on this because many others have already said it. What's different about all of this is not the apparent bullying tactics that the law firm used with Kat. I'm sure every day. It's not the practices of putting fear into unemployed people about finding a job. I've been there. I've been to that firm's previous incarnation, Bernard Haldane.

What I am going to say is that I cannot believe Kirk felt like this was a good idea. Here is someone who has posted her honest feelings about an experience that she and her husband had with them. If Kirk felt like she was unfair, they can discuss with her and if she still doesn't agree, then they can change their practices. What this has done has given Kirk publicity, but it's incredibly bad publicity. This has been put on Digg (by me, in the interest of disclosure). Instapundit picked it up. And in fact the verb "Kirk" is starting to gain a little traction. This is a verb with the definition: “to have your reputation ruined for trying to stifle a blogger’s free speech." This also doesn't work very well if you're a "religious organization."

I've also liked how the blog community has come to Kat's defense, and given this story some real legs. It shows a loyalty that I'm glad to participate in. We don't like bullies, and we especially don't like bullies who mess with our friends. And there's power in numbers. And there's a lot of us. Or as this blogger said...

You see, no one likes a bully, but you know who hates a bully more than anyone else? Nerds and geeks and lookie here, they came onto our playground to harass one of our own. We’re all grown up now, we have millions with whom we interact and connect with. We’re no longer relegated to a corner of the cafeteria watching everyone else have fun. Sure, some of us might still look and feel a little awkward in public, but now we know we’re not alone.

We sure as hell don’t like getting picked on.

Newscoma's keeping a running list of who's talking about this.

James Dobson and Fred Thompson

Once again, James Dobson is making his play to be the next Pat Robertson. And I don't mean that in a good way.

According to CNN, Dobson has challenged Fred Thompson (former Watergate lawyer, Tennessee senator, and current Law and Order actor) to prove his Christianity. And this brings to mind several questions:

1) What gives James freaking Dobson the right to ask Thompson this question? Seriously, does Dobson think he speaks for all the Christians in America to be able to ask this?

2) Has Dobson used his position of apparently the spokesman for Christians to challenge the other candidates similarly? Both Republican and Democrat?

3) For a man who claims his organization to be unpolitical, why is he getting so involved? Does he really think that the Democrats getting elected is such a horrible thing and so he must get the Republicans back in office?

4) Interestingly enough, Thompson was baptized into the Church of Christ. Hopefully, if he becomes president, he'll address such important issues as instrumental music and the influence of liberals in the church.

5) Is talking this much about Dobson just giving him the plugging he wants? Why should I care what some guy who has decided he has the importance to challenge possible presidential candidates thinks? Is Dobson really that influential?

YouTube Thursday: Meth is Bad

If you've ever wondered where I find my YouTube stuff, it's generally from Snarkfest or Digg. Today's came from Snarkfest.

I've known that meth was a bad problem in the US, particularly in rural areas. What I didn't know was that it was as bad as it was in Montana. According to Not Even Once:

* 52% of children in foster care are there due to Meth. Cost to the state: $12 million a year.
* 50% of adults in prison are there due to Meth-releated crime. Cost to the state: $45 million a year.
* 20% of adults in treatment are there for Meth addiction. Cost to the state: $12 million a year.

That's staggering to me. So, to try and combat this and to educate the public, Montana started the Not Even Once program. And a part of that were a series of commercials. The first series talked about the cost to a person him or herself. The second series is directed by Darren Aronofsky, the director of The Fountain that came out last year and Requiem for a Dream, that apparently is as unflinching a look at drug addiction as you will find in the movies. His focus on the cost to the people around the meth user.

Here are the 4 30-second videos he did.

Boyfriend.


Friends.


And the two that just make me want to weep each time I watch them.

Parents.


Mother.


I've got to say that my first reaction is to never ever let my kids out of my sight again. Ever.

My second reaction is the waste of life this causes. Maybe not in the sense of a war or natural disaster, but the conscious choice someone makes to do a drug as hardcore as meth. My mind just cannot wrap itself around that mindset. Is it boredom? Is it a bad homelife? Boyfriend dumping you? It just looks cool?

And what do the followers of Jesus have to say about this? What's our position?

Thankfully, drugs have never been a temptation for me. But I know that there is a possibility if not a certainty that Kinsey and Connor will be exposed to them. I hope Sheryl and I can instill enough self confidence and self worth in them to reject them.

I hope.

I pray.

The Price of Sorrow

I found this article yesterday.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/03/15/12step.apology.ap/index.html

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- A man who sexually assaulted a University of Virginia student in 1984 and apologized to her two decades later as part of the Alcoholics Anonymous program was sentenced to 18 months in prison Thursday.

William Beebe, 42, pleaded guilty in November to one count of aggravated sexual battery for his attack on Liz Seccuro.

Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Edward Hogshire ordered a 10-year prison sentence with all but 18 months suspended, as long as Beebe performs 500 hours of community service related to issues of sexual assault and alcohol abuse on college campuses. Prosecutors had recommended two years.

"I'm not trying to excuse my behavior, but I was a different person then," Beebe said. "I have a purpose, and that gives life meaning. I didn't have that then."

The case was revived in 2005 after Beebe wrote Seccuro a letter of apology in an attempt to make amends for the assault as part of AA's recovery program. The program's ninth step calls on alcoholics to make amends to those they have harmed -- unless doing so would cause further injury. In an exchange of e-mails that ensued, Beebe wrote: "I want to make clear that I'm not intentionally minimizing the fact of having raped you. I did."

Seccuro, 40, of Greenwich, Connecticut, was given a drink at a party that made her feel strange, and she later passed out, leaving her memory hazy. She said she vividly recalls being attacked by Beebe, but always had a vague impression she'd been assaulted by additional members of the fraternity.

Beebe, of Las Vegas, originally was charged with rape and object sexual penetration and could have faced a sentence of life in prison if convicted. But in November, he entered into a plea deal after investigators uncovered new information suggesting Seccuro was attacked by more than one person that night.

Seccuro eventually called Charlottesville police to report what had happened. There is no statute of limitations on felonies in Virginia, and Beebe was arrested in Las Vegas.

Seccuro said that she reported the assault to university officials in 1984 but that a dean and the campus police treated her dismissively.

Seccuro, who says she has forgiven Beebe for assaulting her, said an apology is not a substitute for punishment. The attack changed her life dramatically, she said, and she deserves to finally see justice served.

Several people testifying on Beebe's behalf Thursday said he is a kind and generous friend who often helped other recovering substance abuse addicts.

"Will didn't tell me what to do, he showed me," said William Daniel Griggs Jr. of Richmond, who credited Beebe with helping in his recovery. He also said that Beebe helped care for his sick son several years ago.

Seccuro sat grimly through the testimony of Beebe's supporters. At one point she put a hand on the shoulder of her visibly agitated husband.

Prosecutor Claude Worrell described Beebe's decision to apologize as selfish, and said it traumatized Seccuro all over again. Defense attorney Rhonda Quagliana responded that it was "sad and tragic" that Beebe's apology was depicted that way, and said Securro made a choice to respond to his letter.

Securro, visibly shaken, left the courtroom. Later, Worrell shot back, "As it relates to mister Beebe, Elizabeth Seccuro has never had a choice."

Seccuro went public with her name and story, hoping to lead other sexual assault survivors to seek help. She launched STARS -- Sisters Together Assisting Rape Survivors -- to raise money for rape victims and their families.

Hogshire clearly struggled with the sentence, saying what Seccuro went through was horrific, but that Beebe went on to be a leader in the recovery community.

"Is he remorseful?" the judge asked. "I think so."

I think this was a very interesting article for a lot of reasons. The most obvious one is the aspect of forgiveness. The victim of the rape said that she does forgive her rapist. So forgiveness has happened her, but she obviously feels that forgiveness does not equal the negation of the consequences of his actions. And I can see the viewpoint on that. I've not been raped or been a rapist, but I can only imagine the psychological consequences of being victimized like that, and that those emotions would stay with you for your entire life, particularly when confronted by a sexual situation.

I also find it interesting that the rapist is willingly accepting his punishment. He realizes that what he did was wrong and perhaps even more, evil. He made a decision (after deep consideration) to get in touch with his victim and try to make amends.

So one level I want to think about this for this week and then one next week. For the past couple of months, my friend Preston Shipp has been teaching a class at a women's prison here in Nashville about the justice system (you can read about it here). One of the things they've thought about is what the purpose of prison is. Is prison intended to be punishment or rehabilitative? If prison is truly about justice and restorative justice at that, then prison has to be rehabilitative. And if prison is about being rehabilitated, does goes to prison do any good for the rapist. From the article, it seems that there is genuine remorse and desire to make amends for what happened, but it also seems that the rapist going to prison is only for punishment and I'm not sure it would make him feel any worse about what he did.

Now, of course, this is a very sticky situation because I certainly don't want to imply that there shouldn't be any consequence for what this man did because there should be. But maybe what is going on here isn't so much a desire for justice as it is for revenge and unfortunately it has become way too easy to confuse the two.

Next week... in what ways does this situation mirror how we think about eternal punishment/Hell and if we are called to forgive 70x7, is God exempt from that? Where does punishment for sin fit into our theology?