Ai, arara azul, once I realized you weren´t a son, I knew which daughter you are - good for you, I´m glad you came! and somehow the arara azul is exactly the name I´d pick for you. Love you!
This may illustrate what was being talked about above by sonnet, survivor and others: My uncle was accused of sexual harassment by a teenage pupil of his (the harassment - she considered him to have said inappropriate things - made her feel uncomfortable). Without going into did he or didn´t he, o que não vem ao caso for my point here - he had a life change about 2 years ago - and it had nothing to do with religion (ie: a set of rules that one follows to belong to a certain group). It would see he understood who he was in God´s eyes and he began a true relationship with him. I heard about it, but withheld judgment until I saw and could say for myself. This is my uncle now - he rebuilt his office/tutor area so that one side is a clear glass wall/sliding door, mostly which he leaves open unless his house is too noisy because they always have so many people over. He never tutors when his wife´s not home. When he tutors at other peoples places, he always requests to be in a well traveled area and with other family members home. On an aside, he also treats his wife whole lot better, so much so that she now actually wants to stay with him for the rest of her life. It would seem that he now knows himself better and knows how untrustworthy he can be. Religion was something that he had before and it will do nothing to change someone. His new perspective of himself has changed his attitudes and actions. And as someone who believes that God is interested in us, I think God gave him that new perspective. I loved my uncle before because he was family, I actually like my uncle now.
I would have a hard time sharing space with the person that abused me - but he did a whole lot more than make me feel uncomfortable. However, the only way that I would say, "this person has changed" is if he were to take actions similar to what my uncle did - in his case, never again be involved in anything to do with anyone under 20 - also maybe announce his past in his neighborhood and his work place - I think I saw that idea somewhere on this forum.
I wanted to tell this true story because I know God can work and change people, but that doesn´t mean that old habits and vices disappear - and also because I hate seeing religion mixed up with God- but that´s an age old problem, isn´t it?
Was that too mixed up? Sorry, I tend to talk in circles, so I´ve had friends tell me.
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