Church Embraces Child Molestor

[Rhino]

Family of Molested Girl Leaves Church After It Embraces Attacker

Thursday, March 29, 2007

The family of a molested 3-year-old girl has left College Park Church in Carmel, Ind., after it embraced her attacker — a former church elder — with support and money.

The Indianapolis Star reported that the family of the girl wishes to remain anonymous, but the father spoke out, saying the church is acting inappropriately by forgiving the elder.

"It's a disgrace that the church would embrace a criminal and turn its back on the victim, especially one that's a young child," the father told The Indianapolis Star.

During a confrontation with church members and his own family, Terry Van Gorp, 57, admitted to molesting the young girl. He later revealed to the girl’s father that he abused her while babysitting in February 2006. The family called police and filed charges, and Gorp faces a sentence of 42 to 108 years in prison......http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,262322,00.html

Also a story here:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/LOCAL010103/703290453

[Wolfcounsel]

Harming a child is the same as murder. The asshole has lost all connection to society.

[DeclinetoState]

The family of a molested 3-year-old girl has left College Park Church in Carmel, Ind., after it embraced her attacker — a former church elder — with support and money.The church should have stayed neutral in the business. The charges may or may not be false (the church is acting as if it thought they were false); it's for the justice system to decide. Until that happens, the church should not be offering anything but moral support to all involved.

Be that as it may, the church has taken the side of the accused, and the accusers have voted with their feet to leave the church. Thanks to the First Amendment, there's not much legally the church can do to them.

[S-T]

Obviously, the church has to act to protect children, and this man needs to be harshly punished by the criminal justice system. However, we are mandated by Scripture to forgive. In God's eyes, none of us are better than a child molester or murderer. We all deserve to burn in Hell.

Which is what makes Christ's sacrifice all the more amazing.

[DesertFox]

Welp, Christ was a better man than me. I ain't forgiving this asshole. I hope he fries in hell. Christ can forgive him; I can't.

[Timberwolf]

That is the single hardest thing concerning my faith. I MUST forgive those who wrong me. Should I fail to do so, Almighty God will not forgive ME.

Forgiveness isn't for the perp, it is for the victim. It is the vehicle by which the soul begins to heal. Forgiveness rids the soul of the dark poison that would prevent the Holy Spirit from communing with me.

This guy's gonna do his time. If he is TRULY repentant (which ONLY God will know), he'll avoid the Lake of Fire. As much as I feel for this child and her family ('specially dad), this family has to come to terms with what happened and forgive the scumbag (as distasteful as that is) and (man I hate to say this), move on.

Not saying they did the wrong thing in leaving the church...nothing wrong with that at all. I'd likely do the same thing. If the church MY family attends would behave as this one did, about 75% of the congregation would leave, if the perp was embraced the way this guy was.

[S-T]

Honestly, if I was the girl's father, this would not be an issue because I would have already killed the perp. Yes, I know that makes me a hypocrite.

[Timberwolf]

Honestly, if I was the girl's father, this would not be an issue because I would have already killed the perp. Yes, I know that makes me a hypocrite.
No, actually that would make you a father...and quite human.

I should have qualified my last post by saying that I'd forgive him as I was choking the life outta him with my bare hands (if I were to be completely honest and forthcoming with how I'd REALLY feel about the situation...just goes to show how far short of the glory of God I truly fall...)

[DoctorDoom]

Welp, Christ was a better man than me. I ain't forgiving this asshole. I hope he fries in hell. Christ can forgive him; I can't.Nor do you need to do so. Only the ones offended can forgive. And IAC, forgiveness does not affect the secular consequences of sin.

[BEST45CAL]

Ask God to forgive you for not being able to forgive. That's what I would do.

[Timberwolf]

LOL!! Dunno if'n it works that way...

[BEST45CAL]

That church has to recognize that he is a threat to ALL children and treat him as such, but they're too concerned about his well-being.

[DesertFox]

Personally, I think forgiveness is about self. In forgiving, you get ahead with living, which is what God intended we do with the life he gave us. When you can't forgive -- or at least put something aside and stop thinking about it -- it can dominate (poison, as somebody said) your whole life. Not that it WILL, but that it CAN.

[Wolfcounsel]

"When you can't forgive -- or at least put something aside and stop thinking about it -- it can dominate (poison, as somebody said) your whole life. Not that it WILL, but that it CAN." --DesertFox

I agree. If I place someone on my shit list, I forget about it. I like my reckoning served on a cold plate.<!-- / message -->

[HomeschoolrsRUs]

I don't quite understand the actions of the church, but I can fully understand those of the family of the abused child. It certainly raises a serious issue for those of the Faith, that's for sure.

We had a similar (but not really) situation come to face our church. One of our longstanding (adult) members, her father was released from prison (but we were not privy to the EXACT charges, but I knew it had something to do with sex and a minor -- think it was something like exposure) and started attending our church. Our pastor did NOT explain what he had done, but did explain how the church (leadership) were going to handle things with him and asked the church for their support (had we not given it, I'm sure he would have continued to work with the man, but would not have allowed him attendence when children were present). He was handled extensively by a committee of volunteer men (who STILL work with him, to this day). He is not allowed in certain areas of the church, and at NO TIME is he alone (without one of the men on the committee) when he is on church property.

When I became aware of all this, I know I posted a thread here asking for adivce (but I can't find the thread, :unsmile: ). I was VERY concerned, but so far my concerns have not come to fruition. I still worry about it sometimes, but I do believe our church is handling this with God's Love and Guidance.

HOWEVER, all that being said, if it were MY 3-year old child, I would probably be on my knees behind bars asking for forgiveness for the murder I committed (because I would probably kill the guy -- and I KNOW my Bubba would probably be behind bars too, especially if he beat me to the punch.)