Kienan Hebert was a regular 3 year old boy, when suddenly was abducted from his household and kept for 4 days. The abductor, Randall Hopeley returned the toddler after 4 days. He said he cleaned a vacant cabin and filled it with things that kids require, then went scoping for children. Prior to the incident, Hopeley has been sentenced for 2 years for sexually assaulting a five year old boy. He admitted that he never did anything sexual with Kienan, and that their time together was innocent, and that “he took good care of him.” After all was said and done, Kienans father forgave the abductor and even shook his hand. Personally, I think that this father should have been very upset at the situation. The father should be protecting his son, not becoming buds with him. By forgiving the abductor, it says that what he did is ok. It is not ok, and this man should be taken off the streets forever.
It is difficult to comprehend how one is able to forgive the perpetrator who kidnapped his son. It is admirable but also shocking and where I to put myself in his shoes, I can not imagine being able to be as forgiving as he was. It is beyond understanding and though Christianity teaches forgiveness it would be bordering on impossible for me to be able to forgive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tari, what this man did was wrong and there is no excuse for it. Mr. Herbert must be a pretty strong person for being able to go into the interrogation room with this man that had abducted his child, which he will never forget. Mr. Herbert must have a pretty big heart for forgiving him. I know if that were me, I probably would have not been able to forgive this man. God says to forgive others; this sometimes is hard to do especially in this situation.
ReplyDeleteEven though what Randall did was extremely wrong, I think we should always forgive no matter what has been done to hurt us or those close to us. This does not mean it will be easy, or that Mr. Herbert has to become friends with this man, but simply to forgive what Randall has done just as Christ forgave us.
ReplyDeleteThis sets an incredible example for his son about forgiveness and loving your enemies. By forgiving him, he was not condoning the man's actions but showing him God's love and acceptance. This situation might have changed the man's life. We don't know what his past is, but being forgiven could change everything.
ReplyDeleteI want to keep commenting because I'm passionate about this issue :P so Mr. Bults, don't mark this one!!
ReplyDeleteIt says in the Bible that Jesus came to save and forgive everyone. Not just people who have committed 'little' sins, but murderers and kidnappers and people who have committed horrible crimes. No one is unforgivable. What Randall did, both to Kienan and to the five-year-old, were already forgiven when Jesus took that sin upon HIMSELF on the cross. He forgave even the most heinous and unspeakable crimes, and calls us to do the same. Who are we not to forgive, when our debt has been eternally taken away from us and payed by the Son of God? All that Jesus asks us to do in return is to forgive them the way He forgave us. It's not the easy thing to do, but it is the right thing to do.
I give serious credit to Kienan's father for being able to forgive Randall for what he did. Although I may not agree with it, I think it was incredibly big of him for doing it, and even reaching out to the man to show him it was okay. He did what Christ did for us, which is what we should all take from the story.
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