Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Barbour defends controversial pardons as based on the Christian belief in forgiveness
Fox News ^ | January 13th, 2012 | AP

Posted on 01/14/2012 3:27:06 AM PST by KantianBurke

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said Friday he's "very comfortable" with his decision to grant pardons or other clemency to more than 200 people, including convicted killers, in his last days in office, telling Fox News that Mississippi is predominantly Christian and believes in forgiveness.

The pardons have set off outrage among some victims' families and prompted a judge to block the release of some of the pardoned inmates out of concern that proper notification rules were not followed.

Barbour told Fox News that any problem with paperwork was an accident on the part of corrections officials, who needed to send the notices out earlier to get them published in newspapers on time. But he defended the pardons.

"I understand and recognize that these families had love ones who were the victims of terrible crimes ... and I sympathize with the fact that this hurts them, that they lost somebody like that and that they're not going to forget it and they want vengance," Barbour said on Fox News' "Special Report."

"But what the state does and has done ... most people in Mississippi are Christians or profess to be Christians, and we believe in forgiveness and we believe in second chances," he said.

Barbour told the Associated Press in an earlier interview that it's a tradition in Mississippi for governors to free the trusties who worked at the Governor's Mansion. Four inmates freed this past weekend are convicted killers who worked as trusties.

And the former governor said he's not concerned that the freed trusties might harm anyone. "I have absolute confidence, so much confidence, that I'd let my grandchildren play with these five men," the Republican said.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; US: Mississippi
KEYWORDS: barbour; barbour4criminals; barbour4dnc; barbour4felons; barbour4romney; fool; forgiveness; haleybarbour; mississippi; murderer; pardons
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-103 next last
To: Just mythoughts

King David sinned with Bathsheeba. God forgave him, but he still had to pay the price of his sin, and boy did he pay.


61 posted on 01/14/2012 6:56:46 AM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau

Why sure. I can just see Mitchell, Boehner and Romney leading the charge on conservative issues.


62 posted on 01/14/2012 6:58:48 AM PST by Scotsman will be Free (11C - Indirect fire, infantry - High angle hell - We will bring you, FIRE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: left that other site

“I loath it when people use false piety to justify their stupidity. Not only is it wrong doctrine, it abuses the VICTIM of the crime all over again.”

Absolutely!


63 posted on 01/14/2012 7:03:45 AM PST by FR_addict
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: sinanju

They like playing the role of God.


64 posted on 01/14/2012 7:11:32 AM PST by lacey3900
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

We are to forgive as individuals, not as governments. Christianity itself is in an individual’s heart, and was never meant to be imposed by a government.
Whose face is on the coin of forgiveness, Governor?


65 posted on 01/14/2012 7:26:31 AM PST by Lady Lucky (A tea party in name only is worse than no tea party at all.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: freeangel
I’d buy houses next to the grandchildren of officials and judges who let out these monsters and let them stay next to THEIR relatives.

Seems like a fine idea at first, but it endangers the innocent to make a point. I would however endorse buying the houses and letting the officials THINK they are going to be homes for people who (claim to) have committed heinous murders, privately confessed them and are "forgiven." It would need a few people with the guts to make such claims, but you could find them if a free house is bait. :)

66 posted on 01/14/2012 7:35:51 AM PST by Lady Lucky (A tea party in name only is worse than no tea party at all.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke
We have a nation of “Christians” of which %50 profess that Jesus was just a nice man or another prophet. What can you expect from people who call themselves Christian but do not even study God's Word from the Bible.

I am ill from hearing the tenets from the Bible taken out of context, whether from the left or right. Yes Christians believe in forgiveness, but forgiveness comes from God, not man. We can forgive some ones transgressions against us, but we can not forgive his sin. That is between the sinner and Jesus.

And just being forgiven does not absolve ones debt to society. These men were tried and found guilty and were serving time. Many sincere inmates find their calling to service and still do their time. The arrogance of ‘little Caesars’ to think they can forgive the debt that these murderers owe the families of the victims.

67 posted on 01/14/2012 7:42:22 AM PST by Magnum44 (Terrorism is a disease, precise application of superior firepower is the cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

WOW! Forgiveness doesn’t mean you give them the opportunity to go murder someone else. That’s just foolish.


68 posted on 01/14/2012 7:53:29 AM PST by formosa (Formosa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Earthdweller
yup, turn the other cheek and get slapped there too...
69 posted on 01/14/2012 8:00:46 AM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: sinanju

“Sunspot activity?
Full Moon?”

No just Christianity. You never know when a Christian is going to do something like that and say it is what Jesus would do. The whole leftist agenda can be justified, and has been at one time or another, by some Christians and their personal interpretations of the Bible.


70 posted on 01/14/2012 8:03:12 AM PST by helpfulresearcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: sinanju

“Sunspot activity?
Full Moon?”

No just Christianity. You never know when a Christian is going to do something like that and say it is what Jesus would do. The whole leftist agenda can be justified, and has been at one time or another, by some Christians and their personal interpretations of the Bible.


71 posted on 01/14/2012 8:03:30 AM PST by helpfulresearcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

First Bush then Huckabee, now Barbour. All doing stupid s**t because of their own religious beliefs. I am beginning to think that my fellow born-again Christians have no business whatsoever in a seat of power like that.

YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, NOT A DAMNED MORON! Yes, there truly used to be difference.


72 posted on 01/14/2012 8:27:55 AM PST by Grunthor (I am a conservative, neither half of the one party represents my views.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

“But what the state does and has done ... most people in Mississippi are Christians or profess to be Christians, and we believe in forgiveness and we believe in second chances,” he said.”

When these murderers do it AGAIN you soft sack of crap, give your forgiveness spiel to the new victims family. IN PERSON. I F’ING DARE YOU!


73 posted on 01/14/2012 8:30:02 AM PST by Grunthor (I am a conservative, neither half of the one party represents my views.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

Put your money where your mouth is, Barbour, and have them live with you for six months, and leave your kids/grandkids alone with them.


74 posted on 01/14/2012 8:31:12 AM PST by dfwgator (Don't wake up in a roadside ditch. Get rid of Romney.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sacajaweau

“Romney is not all things”

Sure he is. If you listen long enough he’ll say something you like.


75 posted on 01/14/2012 8:33:34 AM PST by Grunthor (I am a conservative, neither half of the one party represents my views.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke
We're actually spinning our wheels here. Barbour doesn't care anymore what we or anyone else thinks. He stated he's never going to seek elective office again.....and without so much as an apologetic fare-thee-well he skulked over to the dark side.

He will soon put his political after-life and southern charm to good use. He has announced his plans. He'll clean up monetarily as his law firm's front man/rainmaker, as a registered DC lobbyist and as a mega-bucks speaker on the rubber-chicken circuit.

Leni

76 posted on 01/14/2012 8:45:29 AM PST by MinuteGal (A Happy New Year is OBAMAGEDDON in 2012 !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

So Barbour is a fan of mixing christianity and government when it benefits murders, but we should put our christianity on the back burner when it comes to the life of the unborn..... ?


77 posted on 01/14/2012 9:12:02 AM PST by DrewsMum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

So Barbour is a fan of mixing christianity and government when it benefits murders, but we should put our christianity on the back burner when it comes to the life of the unborn..... ?


78 posted on 01/14/2012 9:12:36 AM PST by DrewsMum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

He actually SAID that he did leave his grandchildren with them..... Which makes him more of an idiot


79 posted on 01/14/2012 9:15:17 AM PST by DrewsMum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: KantianBurke

Unless Barbour can determine the condition of the released inmate’s heart in the eyes of God and Barbour is God, he can not pardon sins.

His job as Gov. is to protect the innocent from the suffering caused criminals. What he has done has nothing to do with Christianity. Christians know only God knows if someone has repented of their sins and that only God can forgive sins. He’s mocking Jesus.


80 posted on 01/14/2012 9:38:27 AM PST by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-103 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson