I’m not sure how to take this…
Calvin Wayne Inman used to be a youth minister at a church until this past December. That’s when he confessed about a crime he committed nearly 14 years ago (He’s 29 now). In 1994, he and a friend robbed a convenience store and Inman stabbed the clerk.
Now that he has confessed, Inman’s in jail without bail.
What’s the proper reaction to this? Do you condemn him for keeping this secret hidden (making for a surely traumatic decade+ for the stabbed clerk’s family)? Or do you praise him for coming clean?
The church he worked at has taken a stance:
“He’s a hero, really,” said Kelley Graham, 24. “I don’t know how many people would do what he did. The Bible says you just need to confess to God. Calvin took an extra step.”
…
“The debt he’s paying to our society is teaching our young people to do the right thing,” said Cheryl Ellis, a member of the church’s youth staff. “To lock him away someplace and say he owes it to society is robbing the next generation of a mentor.”
Robin Thac said her 17-year-old son was active in the youth group that Inman led.
“I am thrilled my son has a role model to accept responsibility the way Calvin has,” Thac said. “There are way too many men who don’t accept responsibility.”
Does accepting responsibility have the same effect if it happens so long after the incident in question?
If my high school students cheat on a test, it doesn’t mean much if they come clean after they graduate from college.
Clearly, Inman didn’t have to tell anyone. He seems to have gotten away with the crime for this long, and I assume he came clean only because it was eating away at his conscience for so long.
But why isn’t anyone questioning why he waited this long…?
(Thanks to Stephen for the link!)
[tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]
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