Way to step up

It's always nice when people give credit where credit is due. Take, for example, a group of parishioners in Texas who are just pleased as punch about one of their youth pastors. After all, said spiritual leader truly stepped up, accepted responsibility for his actions, and made his confessions to God.

Oh, yeah. And he confessed to the police. For a murder that he committed 12 years ago.

Members of the community are just so very glad that he confessed, and they don't want to see him arrested. Many are expressing forgiveness because, as one parishioner said, "the Bible says you just need to confess to God. Calvin took an extra step."

Well heck, if that's all it takes, why don't more criminals just get home at the end of the day and say something like, "Forgive me Father, but I have sinned. Today, I robbed a convenience store of their money and a condom. Tomorrow I may rob someone else"? Actually, a number of criminals may say that already, or something similar. We'll never truly know, because, well, are any of us the type to instinctively trust someone who admits to breaking laws?

To the congregation in Texas, here's something else that the Bible says. "Thou shalt not kill." Not "Thou shalt not kill, or at least thou shalt feel really bad about it after a decade has passed." And while it's very true that the youth pastor has probably changed his ways quite a bit since the killing, the number of people praising his responsible nature for stepping forward and admitting his crimes seem to be missing a point.

He waited over ten years. During that time, he was teaching children, and, well, could have possibly snapped and killed someone again. Good for him to come forward now, but to say that forcing him to spend jail time would be removing a mentor from the community seems a little off.

It's not like anyone is spending their days looking up to OJ now, right?