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Jewish World Review April 24, 2012/ 2 Iyar, 5772 The 'new' Charles Colson By Cal Thomas
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
After Thus was born "the new Nixon," an attempt to transform himself from "the old Nixon" the public didn't like, into a warmer, softer, more approachable person. As it turned out, the "new Nixon" was simply the "old Nixon" with a new coat of political paint. Not so with No one doubted Colson's political shrewdness. Here's an example. He once told me that Nixon wanted a book hyped because it exposed what he considered bias at That and more occurred before the "new"
Colson plead guilty in 1974 to an obstruction of justice charge relating to attempts to discredit The world was stunned. Some laughed in derision, thinking Colson was trying to obtain a "stay out of jail" card. Others said none of the Nixon officials should be forgiven for their "high crimes and misdemeanors." When Colson got out of prison he founded Prison Fellowship, a Christian organization that recruits volunteers to "visit those in prison" in response to the command of Jesus, conduct Bible studies behind prison walls and help ex-convicts find jobs after their release so they won't return to crime and jail. It has worked. According to Prison Fellowship (www.prisonfellowship.org), prisoners who take part in their faith-based programs have a much lower recidivism rate than other prisoners. In 1983, Colson established Justice Fellowship, a Christian-based criminal justice reform group. Through Justice Fellowship, Colson became a leading prison reformer, taking positions one doesn't usually associate with Republicans. He criticized the death penalty, mostly for being unequally applied (though he believed in it for rare cases). He opposed the incarceration of nonviolent, non-dangerous offenders, believing restitution was a more redemptive approach for both perpetrator and victim. I once asked him if he would ever seek a pardon. He replied, "I have the only pardon I need," referring to God. In 2000, he accepted a restoration of his civil rights from then-Governor In one of his many books, "Who Speaks for God?" Colson warned against attaching a heavenly kingdom to the political agendas of the age. He also urged Christians to think and act more like Jesus. In 1973, when news of Colson's conversion became public,
JWR contributor Cal Thomas is co-author with Bob Beckel, a liberal Democratic Party strategist, of "Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America". Comment by clicking here.
© 2011, Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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