Article July 15, 2013 Issue

Prayer that defends the innocent

Judy Cole

We can all support efforts to defend the innocence of children and protect them from harm. In April, police in Israel arrested 12 individuals for alleged involvement with child pornography. And in 2011, police from 13 European countries cooperated to rescue 230 abused children in 30 countries and end a massive international online pedophile ring.

The outlook for ending pedophilia is bleak if considered through the lens of history, which classifies pedophilia as unstoppable and those convicted of child abuse as having a very high rate of recidivism. But that which debauches character and results in such horrific crime can be effectively challenged through prayer.

Christ Jesus made clear that sin was unacceptable and was to be eliminated. He refused to allow any place for sin to hide. To take just one example, when speaking to the woman taken in adultery who was nearly stoned by an angry mob, he said, “Go, and sin no more” (see John 8:1–11).