Can we pray together for Josh Duggar and family?

That is so well written and you are showing so much care for all of us here HS3.  I feel so blessed and welcome here.  And it's an honor to be here.  Thank you so much and I pray for God's Health and Prosperity on your blessed family also.


Steve      

Thanks again Steve. We've all been under the weather lately. And thanks again for the encouragement as a moderator.

I want to help women who've suffered like I have. If I can, I want to try and help them before they suffer for 12 years like I did.

I also want to see the men successfully beat this addiction including my hubby.

As always, everyone here is on my prayer list.

God Bless, Steve.

Hey everyone,

This is all starting to make a lot more sense now. Ladies, I'm sorry that this discussion sparked up some very painful feelings for all of you. I have a way of doing that to people without being very emotionally sensitive. I don't have a lot of time now, so perhaps I'll respond more later.

Anyways, I'm sorry for all the pain that you're going through. None of these kids ever deserved this. And the fact is most of these cases go unpunished. That's not always the parent's fault. And if they go to the police, the response is often they can't do anything or they choose not to pursue the case any further.

If my teenage son was taking indecent liberties on our daughters, we would call the police. How they would pursue the case would be up to them, but I would not try to be lenient. HS3, I'm sorry about how they handled your case. That was not right. And your child had to pay the price.

And Amy, I'm sorry about your daughter as well. Your husband should have reported this. Is it an option for you to report it yourself?

Anyways, it makes sense why it can be sooooo difficult to pray for and have any sense of love and compassion for those that do these things. I wouldn't expect it from many people. I wouldn't expect it from Facebook, or even from church.

But this is a forum for those struggling with P and other s*xual acting out behavior. And it will not be out of the ordinary for some coming here that have a record of criminal s*xual conduct. How we respond to them will make all the difference in the world. I know that such people deserve punishment, zero-tolerance, a burning in hell. Many of these people will not deny that. They don't deserve God's love and compassion, but they still need it. It's going to be very difficult to walk in God's love towards such people. I'm sorry that I asked for way too much than what can be achieved. I can see from the pain shared that some things are just too impossible.

I do appreciate all of you here. Thank you for sharing. It's been a good year we've been having, 2015. Hasn't it? We've watched each other bloom and grow in ways that we've never thought possible. So let's keep it up. Thanks again.

I ditto Steve, Kevin. So glad you came back! 

How's the job situation going?

This thread got a little toxic.

I didn't know who Josh Duggar was (we don't have cable) until the news stories started breaking several months ago.
I have to confess that reading what he did stirred up some emotions... abusing his sisters... when I read some of the articles on the Christian side about forgive and forget, I got the impression few of them had been through the trauma and horror of sexual abuse. Since it took me 20 years to heal, I kind of took the articles as coming more from armchair critics who really didn't know what they were talking about. I've healed and forgiven the person who molested me, but I flinch when I read someone who hasn't been through it saying to forgive and go on... it's not that easy. I also had a guess that there was more to the story because that kind of thing is not an isolated incident... and sure enough, the truth is still coming out.

On the other side, while I've never molested anyone, I did commit adultery on my wife and viewed porn for years, among other things. I know well the desperate need for forgiveness and mercy.

Would I be comfortable having the Duggars to my house with my 3 daughters there? No way. My family comes first.
Would I be willing to meet with Josh one on one if he wanted help? Absolutely. I've worked with other men who've been in a similar situation. I'd rather see them restored than be repeat offenders.

There has to be a balance between mercy and the truth. Josh committed a crime for which there are severe consequences. To say forgive and forget is to ignore the pain he caused. (I don't think anyone here is saying that, by the way.) I think a lot of Christians go into ostrich mode when it comes to the consequences of sin.
And then, the blood of the cross covers Josh's sin too and there is room and hope for redemption.

I understand the intensity on both sides. Sexually abuse is an emotionally charged topic, especially when a person has been through it.

What I don't condone is the way both sides threw respect for the other out the window. No one here is going to fix Josh Duggar, it's just a topic of discussion on forums. Let's agree to disagree, and move on to the real reason why we're here, which is to offer help to those who are hurting.

Please read this from Ephesians 4:

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

So what I'd ask those who got heated to do, is step back, think about what this verse means in the context of this topic, and ask God how He wants you to respond.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Iris please take a step back from this and try to read what was written without the knowledge that it was HS3. It seems to me that you are very sensitive when it comes to her posts. I don't know the history involved however I think that it needs to remain lost in the past. She was making observations from her point of view. Yes naming Josh a pedophile was harsh but she did say she would pray for him. Her point of view is different from yours, mine, Kevin's, Steve's...as Mike said we need to remember to respect each other and get on with overcoming this addiction. Respect was lacking on both sides of this. To respect we need to try to understand other's points of view. I didn't understand where Kevin was coming from until he explained and now I do. I respect his point of view and where he is coming from...I may not agree with him always but I understand and hence can respect him.

Iris if HS3 posts are upsetting to you, take a break and pray about it. Then come back and respond. I used to be a shoot first ask questions later woman myself and I learned that it works better all around if we can approach things that upset us in a calm manner. This is just advice, take it or leave it. I do pray that you and Kevin remain on the board. God Bless you both.