Pardons and Reconciliation

[AndyF]

Pardons for criminal record are clearly designed to add to the sentencing process not stated at proclaimation. Some of these people are asked to pay hundreds of dollars to clear their name, and not having any money, some are left in peril for the rest of their lives by having this brand hung over their heads.

It must be remembered the people’s representative stated the sentence, or what is required for the offender to reconcile himself to society. It seems to me if we stated the terms for reconciliation, and he paid, then the book is closed. Pardoning is not a man made condition, but a command of God. So a person legally on the street has paid his debt as instructed in scripture.

Can a Christian emulate a nation and go about his life asking a tresspasser for something in exchange for forgiveness after the debt has been paid.?

Can the “forgiveness at a price” given in this manner be classified as forgiveness from the heart?

Can the Christian or nation leave this world and explain to God that it was OK for him not to forgive because the tresspasser did not give him something AFTER he had reconciled.?

When is reconciliation realized for both parties.?

Mat 18,15 “If your brother should commit some wrong against you, go and point out his fault, but keep it between the two of you, if he listens, you have won your brother over”.

The paragraph above implies discreet settlement between 2 parties. Is “information at a price” criminal records in accord with this command? Does the nation have priority over God’s law to trust unconditionally, given we all sin, even nations.?

The Lord warns against none settling of debts. He warns those who tresspass to settle before the magistrate. The magistrate is not bound to refuse him, but bound to do what he can to assist reconciliation, not to compound punishment creating perpetual punishment. The magistrate, representative of the nation, demands repayment and is given his due, one should then expect closure and a new citizen is created better aware of the nation’s expectations. So why the after treatment?

What are your thoughts.

Andy

 

[Church_Militant]

Wow!

Very well stated! I think I agree. Are there specific applications that you are thinking of?

 

[AndyF]

Church Militant:

Wow!

Very well stated! I think I agree. Are there specific applications that you are thinking of?

Well, someone close in my family has a criminal record for a minor charge of public mischief that occured over 40 years ago. It was a disaster destined to happen, ie: a head strong young man finally meeting a head strong police officer. No one was hurt, no scuffle,  and no property damage involved. Most of the severity imposed was due to his character, a trait he got through the family line on my mother's side. His sentence was a 50$ dollar fine, and since the guy was obstinate, the case was considered indictable, instead of the lessor summary option. He paid his fine promptly he says, but it must have been left in a in-basket for some time, and long enough to be noted as being "received late".

In no way is this guy a career criminal as his record only has this slight on it.

For job searches he always puts NO for the question "have you ever been convicted of an offence which you have not been pardoned?".

He states his reasoning. 

*If I have no option to not forgive a person unconditionally, and since the nation binds itself to Devine authority, it does also. Since it is not doing what God wants it to do, then I am also bound to not assist the nation in it's carrying through with it's sin against me. It carries it's own burden of conscience.*

• Further, the nation had it’s opportunity to state all that was required to reconcile myself back to society, it obviously forgot to mention the criminal record. This is probably due to it’s lack of it’s definition as to when I am reconciled, therefore it continues my sentence beyond the stated limit.*
• Lastly, I have no answer to that question even if I tried to. The answer is really in a missing third choice, “I don’t know”, and that would be true. If someone trespasses against me, and I insist he gives me 10$ to pay for the crime, and he does pay, there is no way he can be sure of that I truly pardoned him. That would be a personal issue with me in my heart, not a public condition to be met.*

Andy

 

[Sherlock]

This is not easily answered, as a number of factors come into play. For one, the right of the society to protect its citizens: obviously, a minor scuffle with the police that ocurred in someone’s youth is one thing, but it’s quite another matter when we are looking at criminal sexual conduct, a crime that has a high degree of recidivism. In these cases, the state needs to keep track of a person’s record, and I also would want to know about a sex offender moving into my family’s neighborhood, and the number and details of his offenses.

 

[AndyF]

Sherlock:

This is not easily answered, as a number of factors come into play. For one, the right of the society to protect its citizens: obviously, a minor scuffle with the police that ocurred in someone’s youth is one thing, but it’s quite another matter when we are looking at criminal sexual conduct, a crime that has a high degree of recidivism. In these cases, the state needs to keep track of a person’s record, and I also would want to know about a sex offender moving into my family’s neighborhood, and the number and details of his offenses.

There is a difference between the nation protecting itself and the nation persuing an all out attack on someone who has clearly met the nation’s demands.

This is why the nation can never get God’s full sanction, the power produces obstinancy to change. “He can do nothing against us, so why should we change”.

Records are no longer kept discreet. It has become an “at a price”
document for anyone to see, and it’s cause a repeat of the trial process for the individual at every exposure of it. The point is that it can be controlled, and God sees it is not being done because the temptation to add to the sentencing is overwhelming…

Andy

 

[Church_Militant]

I’ve been thinking further about this and I believe that this all falls under the following statements of Jesus and is a neglected call to justice in our country.

Matthew 7:2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Mark 4:24 And he said to them: Take heed what you hear. In what measure you shall mete, it shall be measured to you again, and more shall be given to you.