We need way stronger punishments and sentencing for those involved in sex crimes! Especially in pedophile cases, some communities do not even have a registry for these criminals, and most people do not bother to check the one in their area. Our priorities are so screwed up in the justice systems, we put non-violent drug offenders in jails, filling up the prisons needlessly, meanwhile, we have no room to keep a child molester for more than 6-8 years! If the names are available, since they have to register, we can do our part by putting them out there on the net, etc., stop pandering to these creeps, people say "they have rights, where will they go, society will shun them, how will they get j...

We need way stronger punishments and sentencing for those involved in sex crimes! Especially in pedophile cases, some communities do not even have a registry for these criminals, and most people do not bother to check the one in their area. Our priorities are so screwed up in the justice systems, we put non-violent drug offenders in jails, filling up the prisons needlessly, meanwhile, we have no room to keep a child molester for more than 6-8 years! If the names are available, since they have to register, we can do our part by putting them out there on the net, etc., stop pandering to these creeps, people say "they have rights, where will they go, society will shun them, how will they get jobs, etc, etc." I say who cares!, they should have thought about that before they did the crime, and maybe, if this happens, another potential criminal will be stopped!

OH the days of the scarlet letters are back. I have mixed feelings on this topic but in response to sahara's comments I did feel the need to offer this.

In Jesus' day stoning of those caught in adultery was a common practice and in some countries can we say IRAN this is still in practice. There are proponents of such punishment using an even biblical sounding reason to keep the land pure of fornicators and adulterers. Using this reasoning one could make a strong case for the elimination of all pedophiles from the face of the earth through the death sentence by stoning, hanging, electric chair or some other means of ending their lives. That being said, having a national registry of sex offen...

OH the days of the scarlet letters are back. I have mixed feelings on this topic but in response to sahara's comments I did feel the need to offer this.

In Jesus' day stoning of those caught in adultery was a common practice and in some countries can we say IRAN this is still in practice. There are proponents of such punishment using an even biblical sounding reason to keep the land pure of fornicators and adulterers. Using this reasoning one could make a strong case for the elimination of all pedophiles from the face of the earth through the death sentence by stoning, hanging, electric chair or some other means of ending their lives. That being said, having a national registry of sex offenders makes us feel safe perhaps but is it JUST?

I mean why not have a list of all burglars and rapists and homicidal maniacs running around. How about all drunken drivers have a web site for. How about all wife abusers and liars? How about anyone who has ever been charged with any crime register for a CRIME STOPPERS web site were we can all keep an eye on these miscreants?

Like the leper colonies of old one would seem that we as a society love to put people into places where they can be shunned and avoided by other CLEAN folk. Now I am not saying that child predators should be exonerated but what I am trying to imply is once a person has done their time for whatever crime they have committed they should be given and opportunity for a new life. After all that would be the CHRISTIAN thing to do. GOD forgave us of our worst sins and some of us have some pretty bad pasts and if HE can forgive and forget why can't we?

If a jury of ones peers convicts a person to only a few years and they serve their time honorably and with remorse then that should be the end of it. Unless you are advocating life sentences for all sex offenders? Or like the bible says STONING. I do not believe that anyone should have to go around wearing a scarlet letter do you?

You miss my point. I never said let's stone any one, but how does one serve "a few years" HONORABLY? Is there honor in that? Here is a scenario, let me know what you think: A 15 yr. old girl walks into a church, she is 6 months pregnant, the other church members gasp, whisper to one another, and avert their eyes from her, she sits and bows her head. A few minutes later a well dressed man walks in, he smiles, greets people, shakes hands, and they smile, greeting him and shaking his hands, he sits and looks around, stopping in his glance to admire the childrens' choir at the front of the church. Here are their back stories. The 15 yr old is a straight A student, raised christian, and was rape...

You miss my point. I never said let's stone any one, but how does one serve "a few years" HONORABLY? Is there honor in that? Here is a scenario, let me know what you think: A 15 yr. old girl walks into a church, she is 6 months pregnant, the other church members gasp, whisper to one another, and avert their eyes from her, she sits and bows her head. A few minutes later a well dressed man walks in, he smiles, greets people, shakes hands, and they smile, greeting him and shaking his hands, he sits and looks around, stopping in his glance to admire the childrens' choir at the front of the church. Here are their back stories. The 15 yr old is a straight A student, raised christian, and was raped 6 months ago on her way home from an after school event. The well dressed man served 3 years for sexually assaulting a 10 yr. old girl whose family he knew. He moved to this new town a year ago, choosing it BECAUSE there was NO registry there. The young girls rapist has never been caught.

I believe I did get your point but I believe you totally missed mine. My point and yours are very similar. ADDING extra punishment to a certain class of criminal seems odd to me. I would much prefer just treatment across the board for ALL FELONS not just child rapists but ALL RAPISTS and murderers and so forth.

I do believe the justice system needs a revision perhaps it should go back to some of its original biblical foundations but GOD FORBID that would be the church interfering in state affairs but at least in the bible the laws are just and even handed.

The punishment for someone raping another was DEATH by stoning I could advocate that.

All I was saying is putting peoples SINS on di...

I believe I did get your point but I believe you totally missed mine. My point and yours are very similar. ADDING extra punishment to a certain class of criminal seems odd to me. I would much prefer just treatment across the board for ALL FELONS not just child rapists but ALL RAPISTS and murderers and so forth.

I do believe the justice system needs a revision perhaps it should go back to some of its original biblical foundations but GOD FORBID that would be the church interfering in state affairs but at least in the bible the laws are just and even handed.

The punishment for someone raping another was DEATH by stoning I could advocate that.

All I was saying is putting peoples SINS on display does not work justice. I would not want my sins to be made public ONCE GOD FORGAVE them would you?

Not every person who has done wrong are unrepentant many are not but some have repented and asked for forgiveness. SHOULD we as Christians FORGIVE them or should we mark them with a BIG RED A and set them aside in a leper colony?

As for your example of the pregnant teen and the well dressed rapist I ask you how many people in the general population are not what they appear? Sure it would be nice to know EVERYONES SINS including yours but I do not have that right.

The Lord does give the Spirit of discernment to discern evil from good and if you sense an evil spirit then by all means withdraw and protect yourself but we are called to a higher calling and that is to love our enemies also.

Now as far as the church looking down on the pregnant teen SHAME ON THEM and shame on them for showing partiality. That too is a sin PUT THEIR FACES ON THE WEB SITE SO I DO NOT GO TO CHURCH THERE.

If my sins are to be posted on a web site I would no longer be allowed to worship in your church probably for my sins are just as heinous as anything anyone else may have done. But thanks be to God who has forgiven all my iniquities and cleansed me from all unrighteousness.

The OT biblical handling of rape punishes the victim, not the rapist. One place in Deuteronomy says, "If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her."

Women, think about it. If you were raped, would you want to be forced to marry the slimeball if he paid your father a bribe?

On the matter of sex tourism where underage people are exploited, note that, at least in the US, it's one of the few crimes that can be prosecuted locally even if it occurs overseas. Thus, anyone who goes to Thailand or Guatemala to enjo...

The OT biblical handling of rape punishes the victim, not the rapist. One place in Deuteronomy says, "If a man is caught in the act of raping a young woman who is not engaged, he must pay fifty pieces of silver to her father. Then he must marry the young woman because he violated her, and he will never be allowed to divorce her."

Women, think about it. If you were raped, would you want to be forced to marry the slimeball if he paid your father a bribe?

On the matter of sex tourism where underage people are exploited, note that, at least in the US, it's one of the few crimes that can be prosecuted locally even if it occurs overseas. Thus, anyone who goes to Thailand or Guatemala to enjoy some underage nookie can be prosecuted in the US on their return. Another interesting point is that the determination is made by US ages of consent, not the country in which it occurs (which can be as young as 12 in some parts of the world).

Underage prostitution is nothing new, and it has been endemic among runaways for decades.

Perhaps we're lucky that sexual mores are more open now, because the response to such things in the past consisted primarily of covering things up and stigmatizing rather than helping the victims. It's the kind of climate that allowed the Catholic clergy scandals to grow to such endemic proportions.

Personally, I'd like to see some facts and figures from sources in addition to a site promoted by a religious group. I give, as an example, the probability that many "child abductions" reported on milk cartons are actually instances of "custodial interference" perpetrated by exes and other family members.