Romans on Roman
Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity (Romans 1:24)
I know that it’s rather puritanical, chaste, or antiquated to agree with what the Bible says about sexual purity, but in light of recent events, I have to ask, “Has the world gone insane?”
There is an increasing call to free admitted rapist Roman Polanski because he happens also to be a talented and celebrated film director.
Polanski was recently jailed in Sweden on an outstanding US warrant from his 1977 rape of a then 13-year-old girl. He drugged her with champagne and quaaludes and then raped her. Her longstanding testimony reveals that she said ‘no’ at every step of the assault, and that he confessed to every offense against this young girl.
Now, more than thirty years later, the victim has forgiven him and has asked that no charges be brought against him. Polanski’s famous friends have interceded on his behalf. Actress Whoopi Goldberg even recenlty offered the clumsy, unfortunate excuse that it “wasn’t ‘rape’ rape,” as though Polanski’s crime against this girl was somehow mitigated by the fact that she was not able to resist him because he manipulated her resistance through drugs and alcohol. Hollywood has a long, unhealthy record of these types of relationships and practices.
Remember that Polanski’s crimes are a criminal offense. Perpetrated against an individual, they are crimes against the state….particularly his fleeing from bail because he was his own most lenient judge in determining the prospect of his inevitable lengthy jail time would have been an unbearable penalty to pay for his inability to control his lust.
While the victim’s forgiveness could be a factor the judge presiding over Polanski’s case will consider, a victim’s absolution is rarely grounds for legal absolution (particularly when one crime is compounded by subsequent crimes perpetrated as a result of the initial offense).
1Obey the rulers who have authority over you. Only God can give authority to anyone, and he puts these rulers in their places of power. 2People who oppose the authorities are opposing what God has done, and they will be punished. (Romans 13:1-2 cev)
