This is only an outline!
This page, currently in outline form, will detail some of the theology of those Christians who have been convicted of being a paedophile, or are currently re-incarcerated for repeat offences against children. It was hearing these apparently scriptural justifications that inspired me to get a theological education at Auckland University, where, to my shock, I heard many of the same lines.
This “theology” was compiled from a couple of sources:
1. Discussions with offenders within and outside of Auckland prison. Over a 5+ year period these resulted in over 20k words worth of conversational notes from thousands of hours spent chatting socially with these guys while in a Christian based prison ministry. As per ministry support guidelines, conversations signalling imminent danger were reported to psychologists and probation officers at the time.
2. The letters from inmates in various prisons around the country, and a repeat offender after they re-offended.
No single person has given me all of these blocks, some only one or two, but the majority come from the handful of ‘Christians’ I have spent the lengthier amounts of time with. Each theological building block will be numbered, and will consist of the saying, how it relates to their crime, and my response at the time. Some of you may have heard these things in sermons, or even believe some of these things to be true, as I had.
I do not believe that these guys are “sick”, moreso a product of the cultural and religious building blocks that they chose to compile their lives from.1
One issue that is repeated by many of the guys is that it is impossible to talk honestly while in prison about their motivations with their prison appointed psychologists. This is because much of what they say is seen as an ‘excuse’ and will lead them to longer periods of detention. It’s a quicker path through the system to accept responsibility, say they acted without influence, and it’s their fault and accept whatever humiliating ‘treatment’ is prescribed.
And to be honest, no guy is going to open up and say anything that will lead a woman who has the power to set them free earlier, to hold him in for longer.
For instance, a man in prison cannot tell these psychologists that he was played with when he was a kid by his babysitters or aunties, so he thought it was normal. With the cultural Marxist style gender wars currently happening in psychology departments worldwide, this sort of admission instantly is seen as ‘blame’. So nothing in society changes. But this list will not focus on the cultural blocks, unless it intersects with the religious.
Children continue to be the victims of a hypocritical society that tells them they are valued. This is even more horrifying to them when they understand it to be religiously sanctioned.
These are the excuses (academics may call them theological arguments), which are the theological building blocks, that paedophiles and repeat offenders have given me to justify their behaviour.
This theology broadly follows the hermeneutics developed since the Enlightenment and popularised within the Church after Vatican II.
1. “All sin is sin”. This was a common saying when debating the pro-glbt’s at university. I have also heard this said by those in the ministry group when they were trying to make a former offender feel better.
2. “All you need is love”. (another common excuse for various sexual behaviour at the School of Theology). Supposedly from 1 John 4:16, God is love and love is all you need. In reality this is from John Lennon, not St John, so no surprise that theologians from this era err here.
“As long as you show love in what you do, it’s ok”. To back this up they’ve claimed that 1/ it wasn’t hurting anyone. (I’ve even been told by a repeat offender the victim enjoyed it). 2/ young girls actually want it or else they would not sell themselves on the street, often with their parents blessings. Offenders consider that they are doing them a favour by giving them money. The girls are never prosecuted. 3/ Lawyers pleading for, and Judges giving light sentences saying the victim is not hurt and no lasting damage.
3. Eternal salvation, nothing they do can separate them from the love of God. All is already forgiven.
4. “God made me this way.” (this reasoning was also often given by the Catholic nuns justifying the glbt lifestyle). It’s natural they claim.
5. “All religions are the same and it’s not illegal in other religions” or cultures. Prisoners learn a lot about what is acceptable to foreigners while inside prison.
6. “The priests do it and they get away with it”. There is a perception that they will get away with it with God also. Also involved in this is a possibly mistaken assumption about the age of the children involved.
7. “I believe I am saved”. After all, all you need is “faith” to be saved! Repentance is so old fashioned and totally unnecessary! No need to follow Jesus, just have faith you’re free of your sin debt!
And where does this theology lead? This repeat offended was so convincing of Christ’s love and forgiveness from his earlier offending/incarceration when speaking in churches after his earlier release prior to this arrest. Paedophile jailed for assault at Auckland pool
1Some of those who repeat offend treat Christian based ministry, such as the one I was involved with, as an easy and quick way out of jail. Once out they attempt to do away with elements of Biblical authority with similar line of academic argument to that used by the feminist theologians, as dealt with in The sacred cows of feminist theologians. Others know they can substitute homosexuality with paedophilia in the theological arguments used by the queer theology to academically justify their morality as detailed in Homosexual paedophile grips control of history.