Too harsh - or justifiable ?

That pastor deserves to be in prison. What he did was very bad, and I'm sure he knew how wrong he was. I have two sons and was very protective of them. Adorable photo of your son and love his hair!!!!

I wish the photo was clearer but I know, it is a photo of a photo and they are never clear. I was also very protective. I remember my daughter coming home from school and when she told me that a man in a car had exposed himself and I went looking for him but never found him. No matter how protective we are, things can happen. In school the monks would often molest the students but at the time we never realized what was happening. As for this pastor, what he did is heinous to say the least and the law dealt with him and I would leave it at that. It goes to show that no one can be trusted.

Things are going in a very wrong direction as far as kids protection is concerned! How can we ensure the security of our kid while sitting at our place? As far as the Pastor is concerned let the judge decide what treatment he should get as he is learned and professional in his own right! Thanks for initiating this thought provoking discussion dear @Kandae11 !

Anyone who commits a crime deserves to be punished, whether a religious person, a politician or a billionaire. People this days bring disrepute to their calling by committing crimes and expecting people to just allow them go scot free because they are so and so.

In our days we did not have too much problem.Most of this happening now I am glad the my kids were not born in later years.they never had any problems and her friends and my friends. Most of this happening today.

He certainly abused his position and I guess the judge is bounded by certain laws he needs to follow.

People have told me a lot that I am over protective but I don't think you can ever be to careful when it comes to our kids! I do think the man should be punished harshly but I don't know about 30 years. Hopefully he will be an example to others not to do something like this ever!

Your son is very cute I too was very protective of my children until they were in college , even then I would be constantly in touch with them..it takes just one ugly incident to ruin a young life . Thankfully in Mangalore where we live , we have not had a single rape case so far like in other major cities of India .But now with more software companies and other industries coming up here , there are a lot of outsiders and the locals fear that things might change. As far as the punishment is concerned , I feel that it may be too harsh . But again the court would have gone into all the details of the cases and know what they are doing .

Over the years, I have realized that when you group a set of criminals, they are going to share their skills and evolve better methods. Prison does that. In any event, you are punishing him in a way that people do not see him suffering. So the next pedophile is likely to take chances. After all, for every 1 that gets caught, there are more than 10 that get away with it. Punishments should be harsh (not within the purview of human rights because violating another person's human rights should be interpreted as willingness to surrender the human rights ...those rights are for humans not for those who keep their animal behaviors while claiming to be humans). As I said, they need to be punished in a way that everybody gets to see them, and shame them, and shame them regularly. Not merely some tasks to do in prison. That actually saves the guy some rent and gives him some employment too. Get him lynched, and then have his face and hands and legs filled with tattoos mentioning the nature of his crime...set him free. Let him go through what victims go through for the rest of their lives. That said, somewhere I read that some of these behaviors are ingrained as we were animals and the evolved ones have the better gene, while rest of us try to behave but can be criminals. I also need research on such people to evolve methods and medicines that can stop such behavior.

That is not right in the eyes of humans and in the eyes of the Lord.

We should try our best to protect out children and all children. No child should be mistreated.

Until Pretty was 15 she was not out of my sight unless she was with her mother. She didn't even sleep over at friend's houses until she was 17. (I threw parties and sleepovers for her friends often. But they always came to our house and spent their time, not the other way around.) I see nothing wrong with the sentence. The only improvement I would suggest is that he be castrated, as well.

If the allegations against that so-called pastor were true and factual backed by evidence, that animal should be locked up for good for violating a child! Yes, I am a Mrs Mama Bear, a fierce one, for my children!

Is that moral or immoral? is 40 years deserving?

I had three sons, and forty years ago, things were a lot different. I now worry about great grandchildren.

Pastors are supposed to be protectors. This pastor was just the opposite. Do you have any doubts that he should be pardoned? Today thanks to the Internet parents have no hold over their kids. Remember Blue Whale?

I think he should be jailed, especially if this is not the first time he has done this. Even once is too much. I love that hair, oh my, now that is a head of hair lol

He deserves the prison sentence. I was a very over protective parent.

There's a sadder, deeper story here. Lots of sad, quiet folks not telling their tales. He's not getting enough punishment.

He should serve 50 at least. He is no Christian and deserves no mercy.