Reform and Social Acceptability

There was something in the news that a convicted sex offender was  on the same celebratory boat with  the royals during the jubilee celebrations.

My first thought at this was so what?

  this brought up an inner conversation on - repentance and social acceptability.
If a person truly repents from a previous bad action, then why should we not forgive and allow that person to start over again??

We are all to quick to judge, to label and to ostracise individuals that we deem have fallen fowl of social acceptability standards - sex offenders, rapists, murderers bla bla.. the list is endless

Whilst on some level I understand this as a natural  preventative reaction within ones self for one's safety and the safety of our loved ones... but in all consciousness i have to ask myself... if i were in their shoes wouldn't i want society to allow me to reform?

 take a longstanding position on forgiveness - "We all ask  God to forgive our sins and allow us to reform and start again.. so why cant we afford the same for our fellow human beings?"

Granted God is the Most Merciful.. and his patience and love knows no bounds.. but still in that we would want some mercy and repentance for ourselves.. why cant we afford to give such to others who come across our paths?

 The subject of repentance and reform, whilst on a broad angle is something we cannot truly know or understand.. i say this because the mind of another person is not something that we are privy to.. whilst an individual may show outwards behaviours of reform and remorse, this may just be an act to fool the society and inwardly they may have not changed in the slightest.. that is for God to judge and not for us to worry about.

Whilst on some level we would worry, but we can only deal with an open hand and make and informed decision based on what we see and also to a large extent what we feel.. this inner beacon of judging dangerous persons and dangerous situations...

 there is also an issue in the sense of why can we not separate person/responsibility from action/crime committed. The example for this is that an experienced underwriter who is arrested/indicted for sex offence looses his job with a company he has worked for more than 20 years?
 i personally do not think this is fair.. but i do understand the issues behind it.
Firstly i would think that the sex offence has nothing to do with his job or ability to perform his job.. in that sexual preferences are part of a persons make-up that has nothing to do with everyday contact in society.
Secondly i understand that  if word gets out.. this persons fellow colleagues may find it hard to work with him as they may not be able to separate person/ability from action..
Thirdly i understand the adverse publicity for the company for the same reasons as above.

It will be an unfairness because in my view these people who commit crimes loose everything they have built up for ages, acceptance( which should not be underrated.. no man is an island), social standing, source of income... at the same time  the effect on the victims should not be underplayed. If they truly reform/repent, they should be allowed to continue on with their lives.. it will be a lesson learned for them and a deterrent  not to oblige the same crime.

I guess with tolerance/understand both parties may be able to come to a leeway.. if the perpetrator apologises and repents and  tries to reform... this will only be possible in its full ramifications with the social pardon to allow then to rebuild and move on from the incident ( both parties) and not have the incident thrown in their face all the time.

This then brings on another issue in my mind re sexual offences and what we as a society finds acceptable.

 i will pose the question...  to criminalise a man for chatting with an underage minor when the underage minor was posing as an adult on a social chat room? the issues  for me will be if the older man knew the person was underage or not.. if he did not know and assumes that he was having explicit sexual conversations with a consenting adult.. then personally i don't think he has done  anything wrong.. if he knew that is another matter entirely.. will bring up issues of was the minor consenting as well/ how mentally aware was the minor etc..

This is a murky subject..

God help us all and guide us to truth.. May he accept our repentance and help us change our lives around.