It’s odd really, I just realized that I do not believe in the concept of sin. I’ve never really thought about it, but sin is a religious concept and arbitrary. I’ve used it to describe bad behavior. That is an improper use of the term. I’ll stick to using good and bad to describe behavior. Religion is insidious.
I had intended to ask the question, where does the sinner find redemption if they cannot enter a church? I will rephrase it as, where does a bad person learn to be good if they cannot enter a church? I’m not going to address the concept of good without God here, I’m focused on screwed up believers who seek the aid of their clergy and fellow believers. Should they be denied access because of the nature of their crimes? This is America. Who we associate with should not be dictated by the state, no matter the crime.
A North Carolina judge has ruled in favor of two registered sex offenders arrested in May for attending a Baptist church near Raleigh.
Francis Demaio and James Nichols were indicted May 11 for violating a state law requiring sex offenders to stay at least 300 feet away from places used primarily by children. The two men had been attending Moncure Baptist Church, which has a nursery on its premises, for several months.
Readers of this blog may think it odd that a side with sex offenders. I despise them, especially those who pose as clergy or other authority figures. When laws unjustly infringe on our freedoms, the issue trumps. The state should not impose arbitrary restrictions on its citizens. The police arrested two men who were simply attending church in an overzealous enforcement of a criminal statute. It’s something police tend to do. It sets a dangerous precedent. Those of us in the minority should be concerned. The state has a long history of abusing its power. We must be mindful of this, even when the rights of an unspeakable minority are abridged.
