Michael Vick - Where To Go From Here?
The path is clear for ex-National Football League quarterback Michael Vick to take snaps once again, with his reinstatement on a conditional basis today by league commissioner Roger Goodell.
As most dog activists know, Michael Vick went to prison for being involved with dog fighting and for inhumane treatment of his dogs. Now, he is out of prison and trying to get back to playing professional football. I hear from many dog activists that he should be banned from football and harassed for life for what he did. I disagree. I think once someone has paid their time in prison, it is time to give that person a chance to rebuild their lives. They have already paid their price to society. If not, then we should demand harsher sentences in the courts. However, this is what society has deemed sufficient punishment for what he was convicted of.
It's no longer our job to be judge and jury and jailer of this man. The sentence has been fulfilled.
And if you are so righteous in who you are, then let me ask you what you did about all of this? Morally, this is what you should have done regarding Michael Vick: you should have gone to him, or talked or corresponded with him. How is your shunning of this man going to make him a better man? Is your unending punishment any less cruel that what he did? And what price are you going to be willing to pay for the hardness of your hearts and the harm you are going to inflict on him. I say, it is time to move on. You had your chance to make a relationship with this man, and now you've blown that opportunity.
Here's what I use to judge your behavior towards him:
Matthew 25: 31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
The path is clear for ex-National Football League quarterback Michael Vick to take snaps once again, with his reinstatement on a conditional basis today by league commissioner Roger Goodell.
As most dog activists know, Michael Vick went to prison for being involved with dog fighting and for inhumane treatment of his dogs. Now, he is out of prison and trying to get back to playing professional football. I hear from many dog activists that he should be banned from football and harassed for life for what he did. I disagree. I think once someone has paid their time in prison, it is time to give that person a chance to rebuild their lives. They have already paid their price to society. If not, then we should demand harsher sentences in the courts. However, this is what society has deemed sufficient punishment for what he was convicted of.
It's no longer our job to be judge and jury and jailer of this man. The sentence has been fulfilled.
And if you are so righteous in who you are, then let me ask you what you did about all of this? Morally, this is what you should have done regarding Michael Vick: you should have gone to him, or talked or corresponded with him. How is your shunning of this man going to make him a better man? Is your unending punishment any less cruel that what he did? And what price are you going to be willing to pay for the hardness of your hearts and the harm you are going to inflict on him. I say, it is time to move on. You had your chance to make a relationship with this man, and now you've blown that opportunity.
Here's what I use to judge your behavior towards him:
Matthew 25: 31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
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