Matthew Maldonado and Nicholas Schultz appeared in court for the first time yesterday since raping a fellow teammate on New Years Eve. Here is the video, in case you still care about this story, courtesy of channel 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zNFXVg1hdxE. In the video the reporter repeats this gem of a statement from Maldonado's mother: " My son is innocent. I have no faith in the judicial system. I just leave it up to God."
Readers of this blog know that for all intents and purposes I am an atheist. I understand, however, the incredible appeal of religion. It gives you a sense of community, a clear set of moral guidelines, and most importantly, the comfort and strength to get through tough times. Like when a family member gets sick. Or dies. Or is accused of raping a woman in a church parking lot. Although I do not believe in God, I completely respect His power to keep people on their feet when the ground falls out from under them. Unless, of course, they are using God as a way to never have to face reality.
As a mother, it must be truly horrible to learn that your son has committed a violent crime, particularly a crime as deplorable as rape. That news would be really, really hard to deal with. Shock and grief would be understandable. Guilt also makes sense, guilt that you are somehow responsible, that you failed to teach your child the proper values. And fear that your little boy is going to be locked away in prison for years. All reasonable. Complete denial, absolute avoidance of reality in the name of religion? Time to see a therapist.
Mrs. Maldonado, I am a mommy too and I am so sorry you have to go through this. So very very sorry. I don't know what you were like as a parent but it is unlikely that any of this is your fault. But honey, your son is not innocent. He was caught on video. Not a magical image made up of fairy dust and moonshine. Real video. In which he violently raped a woman. And I am sorry to tell you this but that "judicial system" you speak of has nothing to do with faith. It is about testimony and facts and evidence, which unfortunately there seems to be a lot of. You can "leave it up to God" if it makes this all easier to deal with but for your son's sake I hope you also hire a lawyer.
If Matthew Maldonado gets convicted of rape does that mean that God hates him? And what about that woman who was raped? Does God hate her too? He must, to allow her to be repeatedly violated and left half unconscious in a parking lot.
Listen, I am not one of those angry atheists. If God appeared to me today, sometime between BJJ class and lunch, I would jump on his wagon train without a moment's thought. I am perfectly willing to accept that I might be wrong in my beliefs, or lack thereof. And even if that never happens, I respect anyone who takes comfort in their faith, who uses it for good, and who is able to believe in God without sticking their head in the sand and entirely disengaging from reality. Because really, Mrs, Maldonado's statement is no different from hearing voices in your head, seeing people who aren't there, and really believing that a man with a beard and a red suit flies from the North Pole to bring you presents on December 25th. Ok when you are six. Otherwise, there are doctors for that.
There is also Xanax. I hear it is a lifesaver. Seriously.
If you want to use God to help you through tragedy, I am all for it. But if your kid is really sick, please take her to the doctor. If you are broke and jobless, check the want ads occasionally. Do not mistake God for a magic genie in a bottle. Do something. Act! And while you are driving to the hospital it can't hurt to toss a few prayers up too.
And if your child is accused of rape it is perfectly reasonable to ask God to protect him. So long as you also accept the fact that he probably did it. That he is probably going to jail for a long time. Your son is a rapist. Again, I am so sorry. Use your religion to help you through this horror not to hide from it.
AIDS is not God's way of punishing gays. The melting of the polar ice caps has nothing to do with the Rapture.
Oh and while I am at it, if there is a God, there is no way he cares about that touchdown you just got. He had nothing to do with it. Thank your coach.
I am sure God is a Ravens fan anyway.
Readers of this blog know that for all intents and purposes I am an atheist. I understand, however, the incredible appeal of religion. It gives you a sense of community, a clear set of moral guidelines, and most importantly, the comfort and strength to get through tough times. Like when a family member gets sick. Or dies. Or is accused of raping a woman in a church parking lot. Although I do not believe in God, I completely respect His power to keep people on their feet when the ground falls out from under them. Unless, of course, they are using God as a way to never have to face reality.
As a mother, it must be truly horrible to learn that your son has committed a violent crime, particularly a crime as deplorable as rape. That news would be really, really hard to deal with. Shock and grief would be understandable. Guilt also makes sense, guilt that you are somehow responsible, that you failed to teach your child the proper values. And fear that your little boy is going to be locked away in prison for years. All reasonable. Complete denial, absolute avoidance of reality in the name of religion? Time to see a therapist.
Mrs. Maldonado, I am a mommy too and I am so sorry you have to go through this. So very very sorry. I don't know what you were like as a parent but it is unlikely that any of this is your fault. But honey, your son is not innocent. He was caught on video. Not a magical image made up of fairy dust and moonshine. Real video. In which he violently raped a woman. And I am sorry to tell you this but that "judicial system" you speak of has nothing to do with faith. It is about testimony and facts and evidence, which unfortunately there seems to be a lot of. You can "leave it up to God" if it makes this all easier to deal with but for your son's sake I hope you also hire a lawyer.
If Matthew Maldonado gets convicted of rape does that mean that God hates him? And what about that woman who was raped? Does God hate her too? He must, to allow her to be repeatedly violated and left half unconscious in a parking lot.
Listen, I am not one of those angry atheists. If God appeared to me today, sometime between BJJ class and lunch, I would jump on his wagon train without a moment's thought. I am perfectly willing to accept that I might be wrong in my beliefs, or lack thereof. And even if that never happens, I respect anyone who takes comfort in their faith, who uses it for good, and who is able to believe in God without sticking their head in the sand and entirely disengaging from reality. Because really, Mrs, Maldonado's statement is no different from hearing voices in your head, seeing people who aren't there, and really believing that a man with a beard and a red suit flies from the North Pole to bring you presents on December 25th. Ok when you are six. Otherwise, there are doctors for that.
There is also Xanax. I hear it is a lifesaver. Seriously.
If you want to use God to help you through tragedy, I am all for it. But if your kid is really sick, please take her to the doctor. If you are broke and jobless, check the want ads occasionally. Do not mistake God for a magic genie in a bottle. Do something. Act! And while you are driving to the hospital it can't hurt to toss a few prayers up too.
And if your child is accused of rape it is perfectly reasonable to ask God to protect him. So long as you also accept the fact that he probably did it. That he is probably going to jail for a long time. Your son is a rapist. Again, I am so sorry. Use your religion to help you through this horror not to hide from it.
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| TAKE THE RED PILL! |
Oh and while I am at it, if there is a God, there is no way he cares about that touchdown you just got. He had nothing to do with it. Thank your coach.
I am sure God is a Ravens fan anyway.
Damn your good! there both guilty whether there parents believe it or not
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