My Single Mom Life

In my opinion, there are still consequences for action, whether he's been "forgiven" by God or not. I don't understand how people think that forgiveness makes those consequences magically disappear.

But he is serving out his sentence. The consequences of his actions are life in jail with no parole. The problem these people have is that he is allowed to post his thoughts about his salvation, his conversion, on a website.

He was up for Parole in 2002 and will be again. I think he asked for no release to better his chances the next time. I feel he lost his rights to walk this earth his so called God made when he killed those six people and should no longer be alive let alone have a web site to express himself on. But hey, that's just my thoughts.

I agree! And I also think that prisoners, especially those in for murder, don't deserve the same rights that free citizens have. Always pisses me off when they are more worried about the prisoner's rights than the rights of the victims or their families.

And I feel badly for the families, because it must be like rubbing salt into the wound for him to be able to do so, but as you said, it's his "right" according to the constitution. It's always annoyed me that most prisoners have more benefits than most people not in prison do (comprehensive health care being one example).

Comment #2, I guess I have been thinking about this post and all these killers who find God behind bars. I really think it is easy to live the so called Christian life when your stuck in a box or cage all the time, but let them out in the real world full of temptation and thats another story, that's when it gets hard!

Kelly, I'm not saying that he should have more rights or the same rights as free citizens but no judge ordered him to not have contact or be able to write or have things published. The stuff he's writing is about his conversion and the church is the one posting it to a website.

Sue, it pisses me off too that they get better healthcare but that's another issue.

Jenn, some prisoners do claim to have found god because they know it looks good. I was just throwing this out there because it seemed like people were taking offense to him writing anything to anyone and having it published to the web.

If you murder someone in cold blood you must be punished. An eye for an eye. I don't care if he thinks he's made peace with God, he still has some answering to do on this earth. His judgement will come after he dies... and that will just be the beginning for sick b*stards like him.

I feel so bad for the families of the victims. I'd be outraged! As if they haven't gone through enough.

I understand Karen but he is only writing letters to a priest who is posting them to the internet, letters about his conversion. I understand them being upset but he is not making a profit, talking gleefully about his crimes etc. He has remorse and knows what he did was wrong. I just found the whole debate interesting.

I have issues with this whole "finding God" thing, as well.

Terry, you know how I feel about the whole god issue but that's not what they are upset about. They are upset that his writings are viewable to the public via the website. They don't think he should be allowed to have a voice at all.

OK, having re-read your post, I think I see where you stand on this. Do you really think he should be allowed a public voice? Once incarcerated for horrible murders, don't you think he should be denied any contact with the rest of the world? I believe that he should be treated with the least possible amenities, much like Paul Bernardo up here in Canada. Bernardo has been in solitary confinent and is apparently going slightly insane because of it (not that he wasn't SLIGHTLY INSANE beforehand!). You are correct, the God thing does not factor in here. But his ability to put his thoughts outside of prison, I find that quite disturbing. I say let the bastard rot in isolation.

Sorry if I misread your post at first, and if I come off sounding a bit rabid. But I do believe murderers and rapists need to be -- not put to death by painless injection -- but made to spend the rest of their lives in fear of their lives from other inmates and in complete misery.

*sigh*

Terry, my view is that if a judge has not ordered complete banishment from writing and having it published, then he should be allowed to do so and it is not him that is publishing the writings of his conversion to christianity anyway, it is the church where he corresponds with a priest that built and maintains the website. He makes no profit at all.

What happened to if they serve their time and are remoreseful for their sins etc? I just wonder where people draw the line in cases like this where he has not been banned from getting his works published.

Footnote.
Davids parole hearing was at the beginning of this month. He was again denied parole. By law, even if the inmate argues against it, they have to have a parole hearing every twop years.

And priests, as we all know by now, are paramounts of virtue. So why is that particular priest so willing to publish a murderer's writing? That is the second half of the equation. Is this "turn the other cheek" bible stuff?

I dunno, this issue burns my butt, and without you I would never have read about it. It gave me fodder for today's blog so for that I thank you :)

I honestly need to catch up on the daily news a lot more.

Oops! I meant "paragons" not "paramounts."

Terry, it is not turn the other cheek bible stuff. The bible says that if you ask for forgiveness, it will be granted. This priest is simply accepting that god has forgiven him and he is trying to show people that through gods grace, anyone can change. It is printed at the bottom of the homepage.

I may have to go check this website out. I saw a special on him last summer or sometime...not too long ago, but not really recent either. They were talking about his 'finding God' and being remorseful, and I just remembered thinking that I think he was remorseful at all, I think he is clever and has learned how to manipulate well-meaning people.

Maybe but that was not the point I was trying to make. The point I was trying to make is that people are upset that he is writing anything at all and having it public and why that bothers so many people.

Hmm. That's very interesting. I suppose that his speech is protected, and the person posting his writings has a right to do so.

I realize that the whole thing is supposed to make a point about salvation, that no one is beyond redemption. My own belief, for what it's worth, is that we are all accountable for our actions. Each lifetime is a learning experience and an opportunity to move closer to oneness/bliss/nirvana/heaven/spirit/universal-mind. We will each become aware of the hurt we have caused others, and that awareness will be a sort of "payback."

I don't begin to have all the answers, but that kind of scenario is the only thing that makes any kind of sense to me.

Excellent way to put it Diane. Thanks for coming by. :)