Mississippi Methodist Youth Minister Jailed for Sexual Misconduct
Well, it appears that justice has been done: Paul Valentine was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexual misconduct with one of the members of his youth group. [See also the story from The Mississippi Press about Valentine's sentencing.]
I have written about Paul before, and I’ve been reluctant to bring it up too much because little good can truly come of it. Reading about it is understandably disheartening, no matter your involvement with the case.
If there is anything to be gained here—and I’m struggling to look for positives here—it might be that Paul’s long prison sentence will keep him from ever committing such crimes again and may also provide ministry opportunities for him to share the Gospel. I firmly believe that God forgives many things that we could never find it within ourselves to forgive, and it is my hope that Paul can share the Gospel of forgiveness in prison as he continues to work on the Gospel of sanctification.
May 30th, 2006 07:41
It’s always interesting to me how even when we mess up God can take that experience and use it for his good. Surely there is someone within Paul’s reach where he will be in prision that will be blessed by his experiences and his message.
May 30th, 2006 09:55
Positive things that can come from this:
1) Paul will not be molesting any more children for at least the next ten years.
2) Paul has two young children of his own. They will be young adults before they will again spend time with Paul, making them safer in the long run.
3) The church has hired a new youth minister who truly cares about the souls of children, and does not exploit their souls or their bodies.
4) Other parents and children have been made more highly aware of what to watch out for and better protect themselves and their children.
5) Perhaps in prison Paul will be abused or molested by someone else, so then he can experience true empathy for his victims.
5) Perhaps in prison Paul will finally turn to God.
Although, while Paul can be forgiven, he will not be rehabilitated. Pedophiles never can be rehabilitated. Once released back into society, they continue to offend over and over.
May 30th, 2006 10:07
Geof, do you know who this “A Parent” is? I have to say I’m really pretty offended by his/her statement that they hope Paul is abused in jail. I haven’t heard anything quite so heartless in a long time.
May 30th, 2006 10:19
Misty: No, I don’t. I’m just as disheartened by it as you are. I understand that there’s a lot of pain there, so I’m just chalking it up to that.
May 30th, 2006 10:39
You have misquoted me. Look at my previous commment again. I never said I Hoped Paul would be abused in jail. I don’t. Abuse is a horrible thing, and two wrongs do not make a right.
However, let’s come off our religious high horses here and deal with the reality of the situation. The man is a confessed, admitted, convicted child molester and will spend ten years in a harsh state prison environment in Mississippi. The Reality of the Situation is that he is going to be abused and molested in prison. You can hope it won’t happen, but it is going to happen. That is simply what happens to child molesters in prison. There is a code of honor, even among convicts.
So, having accepted the reality of what is going to happen to him in Prison, (just as we here have accepted the reality of what Paul did to his victims, an act which landed him in prison)–well, perhaps this experience can be a learning experience for Paul. Perhaps he will finally understand the sense of fear and violation that his vicitms felt when they were abused.
If you find that comment distasteful, then perhaps you should take it up with those who run the prison system, not with me. Or perhaps Paul Valentine should not have committed such a reprehensible crime that he landed in prison for it in the first place.
Sometimes reality is not pretty. Hell is also a reality, but talking about Heaven all the time does not make Hell any less real or any less frightening. So, does that mean we should just pretend it does not exist?
May 30th, 2006 13:28
For Prisoners
How fitting that today’s Upper Room deals with prisoners.
…
May 30th, 2006 15:20
To verify and validate check out the website http://www.spr.org
Why would there be a website and an organization titled “Stop Prison Rape” if this was not a major problem?
The website says that there are several types of men who are “targeted” for sexual assault in prison. Young, white, middle-class, “soft” or effeminate, meek, soft-spoken, non-violent, short, not athletic, first-time offenders, inexperienced to the prison system, etc. Reverend Valentine is all of these, to various degrees. Oh, and there is one class of inmates that is almost virtually guaranteed to be assaulted in prison—rapists and child molesters. And Paul admitted he is one of these, so….
Distasteful? Disgusting? Yes, it is. It makes me ill just thinking about it and writing about it. However, it is REALITY…..and that is one thing that many Christians simply have a hard time dealing with…the harsh realities of life outside our Southern middle-class, suburban, white Anglo-Saxon protestant environment.
Prison is a different world, and Paul has now entered a completely different environment than he was accustomed to. And so he will be in for a rude awakening. Perhaps he should have thought about that before he did what he did. But he didn’t care. And now, finally, sadly, he will learn first hand the pain his victims experienced as they were abused by him.
It is not pretty, it is not pleasant, and it is not tasteful. But this may be the only way he will come to understand that what he did was so very, very wrong…and finally he will understand how his victims felt at his own hands.
So, that may be the only positive thing to ever come from all of this…that Paul finally understands WHY he was so wrong. And this is coming from someone who was affected by his actions, just so you know.
June 1st, 2006 12:57
“A parent,” unless I am mistaken, is Paul’s ex-wife’s ex-husband, who, for some reason, considers himself to be “someone who was affected by his actions.” He is OBSESSED with this whole situation. He has an agenda… and I don’t think it has anything to do with helping anyone. And Geoff, you know who this is.
As for Paul, we have forgiven him. As for God, Pul has repented openly for what he has done, and asked for forgiveness; so obviously God has forgiven him. I pray that he is able to minister to others in prison. I even pray he is able to continue in ministry after his release, so long as it does not involve youth ministry.
As for “A parent”: Show’s over, get a life, and move on with it.
June 1st, 2006 14:15
As one of THE parents who is truly involved in this case, I agree with the previous commenter who correctly identified “A parent” as someone who has an agenda that has absolutely NOTHING to do with ANYTHING Godly or just. He is a sick and twisted individual who is gaining joy out of a tragic situation. Paul, on the other hand, is simply a human being, dealing with a mental illness, who has repented of his sins and is paying the price. His children are also paying a HEAVY price, since Paul was/is a very good father. Please keep Paul’s children in your prayers as you ponder and discuss this difficult and horrible situation, and remember that we are to “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep,” not rejoice in evil.
June 1st, 2006 14:24
By the way, it is interesting to note that Paul’s ex-wife’s ex-husband, aka “A parent” is also posting more graphic comments about what he wants done to Paul in prison on a website called exChristian.net. How’s that for obsession?
June 21st, 2006 09:29
go here:
http://www.mdoc.state.ms.us/InmateDetails.asp?PassedId=121226
July 29th, 2006 17:03
Isn’t prison for reform not punishment? Certainly wont be near a Youth Group there!