One Christian's View Of Mike Nifong's Fall From Glory
6/30/2007
“He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7)Most of you already know I live in Durham, North Carolina. In fact, I work right across the street from the Durham County Courthouse and have personally witnessed much of what you have read about with regards to Mike Nifong – the recently disbarred former Durham District Attorney who by his own admission got what he deserved for his role in the Duke Lacrosse case.
First and foremost, the Bible warns us that we will reap what we sow, and Mr. Nifong certainly received just punishment for the prosecutorial misconduct he displayed with regards to the indictment and subsequent investigation of the three Duke Lacrosse players. He has no excuses.
But what troubles me most about the Nifong issue is the “piling on” that I now see. The families say they want to move forward, but are thinking about suing Mr. Nifong. That will certainly not put this whole tragedy behind them. What’s more, lawyers representing the players now want to see Nifong tried for criminal misconduct. One lawyer for the players even said, “Some people will take this as being mean-spirited and kicking somebody when they’re down.” He’s right on that point.
I don’t know how much more justice can be wrung out of Mr. Nifong. In his testimony before the North Carolina Bar, he told them, “I will go to my grave being associated with this case.” How much more humiliation and shame do he and his family deserve?
As Christians, we enjoy two citizenships – one in the world and one in heaven. The world is going about the process of judging Mike Nifong for his actions and as Christians we are instructed to respect and honor that authority. But as Saints, we all know that Mr. Nifong’s sins are not any more egregious than our own. In short, we all fall short of the glory of God each and every day.
While I freely admit that Mike Nifong deserved to be punished for his actions, I feel sorry for him. Enough is enough. All of us need and deserve forgiveness – even Mike Nifong. The Christian thing to do now is to reach out to him, so I wrote him last week:
“I am sorry that you’re going through the trial you’re now facing. I’m not one to cast judgment although I realize we all pay for the mistakes we make. However, I have been equally troubled with some in the legal community who now see this as an opportunity to “pile on” and exact a pound of flesh. Hatred in any form serves no interest when it comes to justice.
I do not know much about your faith, Mike, but I do know that in spite of everything you’ve done or have been accused of doing, there is a forgiving God who is waiting to grant you the peace and consolation that only divine forgiveness can offer. I saw a penitent heart on (television); it is the first pre-requisite for forgiveness and restoration. All you have to do is reach out and ask Him to forgive you and guide you in the days and months ahead.”
Jesus was criticized for it, but He was often found consorting with those who were in the greatest need of forgiveness. It is model conduct for a Christian and unfortunately nowhere to be found in Durham.
posted by Mike Ruffin on 6/30/2007
6 Comments:
True repentance means saying 'mea culpa' at some point. Mike Nifong is still clinging to the mantra that 'something happened in that house'.
He says he believed the accuser, and was not engaged in a deliberate frame.
It seems to me he has a bit more to say, before he gets that forgiveness.
It seems to me, Durham has a lot more housecleaning to do, before it gets a bill of clean health.
And the Durham churches, which were quick to condemn, could also use a dose of repentance. (They held a rally with Malik Shabazz as the keynote speaker--an anti-semite who believes that all whites should be exterminated. Shame! Did they take down the pictures of two Jews, Jesus and Mary, while he spoke?)
How many sermons have been since delivered on the sin of bearing false witness?
Probably none.
That is the shame of Durham's churches.
And a 'mea culpa' seems to be in order there, too.
Just losing your job is not usually considered adequate punishment for a serious crime. Asking for a little jail time is not usually considered "piling on". If getting fired is sufficient punishment we could close all the jails and prisons.
King David gave a heartfelt repentance after being confronted and was forgiven though difficulties persisted in his family for a good part of the rest of his life.
Has Mike Nifong made a heartfelt repentance? I think that it would be quite difficult to make that case.
Mike Nifong's crimes are crimes as the representative of the State. He has brought disrespect to law, order and due process. It appears that he was aided by the local police department and many others ready to lynch the team, including the vocal clergy in Durham.
For some strange reason, the clergy in Durham is unfamiliar with Exodus 23:
Exo 23:1 Laws of Justice and Mercy
"Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.
Exo 23:2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
Exo 23:3 and do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Exo 23:7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
Deu 1:16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien.
Deu 1:17 Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.
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Exo 22:9 In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, 'This is mine,' both parties are to bring their cases before the judges. The one whom the judges declare [3] guilty must pay back double to his neighbor.
Mike Nifong wanted to take 90 years from the three players. Should he be sentenced to 180 years for that?
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Mike should also know:
Deu 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Deu 19:16 If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime,
Deu 19:17 the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time.
Deu 19:18 The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother,
Deu 19:19 then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you.
Deu 19:20 The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.
Deu 25:1 When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty.
Deu 25:2 If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and have him flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves,
Deu 25:3 but he must not give him more than forty lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes.
Ezr 7:25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates--all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them.
Ezr 7:26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
It is time to forgive Mike Nifong and move on. He has suffered enough already. We as a society owe him a second chance.
Luke 12:4 "let him who cast the first stone, faceth the Lord in purity"
I truly hope that you feel that the law of "reaping what you sow" applies to the lacrosse players that hired the stripper in the first place with all intentions of receiving lewd, lascivious, pleasure from it. None of us are immune from this biblical law, including myself.
let me see if I have this correct reaper... the players hired a stripper, so they should face 30 years in government, not biblical jail on a false accusation from a drug addled stripper? potent/poisoned fertilizer that can turn that seed into that crop.
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