I was listening to a DNC representative discussing the Duggars and gay marriage on Megyn Kelly’s show on Fox news.

I have not commented on this scandal, as I did on the BJU issue, for a number of reasons. The Duggar’s are a family, and the parents of both the perpetrator and four of the victims, I do not envy them that position, and I want to respect the privacy of the girls involved. As a Christian, the real questions of sexual abuse surround larger issues – we do believe in forgiveness both by God and for man; Paul was a murderer, as was David the man after God’s own heart. As I’ve noted before, we are all imperfect believers. There are additional issues as well, the Church has not always been wise in handling these matters, we forgot that the tares amidst the wheat are also wolves among the sheep. This is sometimes difficult for Churches to admit – but then, it is our basic understanding of truth that mankind is by nature sinful, what is so difficult there?

The mission of the Church is not one of justice, that is within the sphere of the state; for Christian institutions our limits when it comes to a discussion of the justice of the matter is to report all allegations to the police, and to honestly answer questions posed during an investigation. If Josh was taken to a Christian ministry for counseling, that ministry should be investigated by the about whether they complied with mandatory reporting laws.

No one (including the Duggars) is condoning what Josh did; no Christian would ever suggest that such sin can be tolerated; and my prayers like many Christians, are with the victims, who are apparently being victimized again by having their privacy violated for what amounts to a political point on gay marriage and Christian moral beliefs on the other (and perhaps many of the Duggar’s critics should do some examination of their own treatment of these poor girls before discussing hypocrisy).

Of course, the question of the comparability of homosexual acts and sexual violation is not the issue. Both are morally reprehensible, as are murder, hatred, and those who make or love a lie. The issue is not whether we are sinners, it is not who is the bigger sinner, the real question for the Christian is always how do we respond to our sin; Scripture is clear, we are all guilty, we have all gone astray and none of us is innocent.

If Josh has truly repented of His sin, then like Paul and David, he is a trophy of Grace, a demonstration of the power of the gospel. And yet, the forgiveness by God does not mitigate the temporal consequences of those actions he took. I will leave the civil authority, God’s minister in these matters to answer these questions.

The question of homosexuality is ultimately no more germane to this tragedy than is the question of the Duggar’s economic theory. God’s word stands the same today in judging homosexuality as wrong as it did when it was penned. And yet, the Duggar tragedy reminds us that God’s judgment does not fall on us without hope; if the gay community will repent and turn to Christ, He will forgive them as well. If Josh, Paul and David can be forgiven, there is room at the cross for the gay man, as well.