The rule of law provides the moral foundation of our criminal justice system. Kings and peasants, blacks and whites, Christians and Muslims are to be judged equally under the law.

The case of Melanie McPherson raises significant concerns about the rule of law in Virginia Beach. Melina McPherson, the wife of rapist and former Regent University Assistant Law Dean Stephen McPherson, admitted to molesting and psychologically manipulating an adopted child. She violated the child under the cloak of Christianity, citing Bible verses to the victim as justification for the abuse.

Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant accepted her guilty plea in return for a recommended sentence of only 40 days. Onc...

The rule of law provides the moral foundation of our criminal justice system. Kings and peasants, blacks and whites, Christians and Muslims are to be judged equally under the law.

The case of Melanie McPherson raises significant concerns about the rule of law in Virginia Beach. Melina McPherson, the wife of rapist and former Regent University Assistant Law Dean Stephen McPherson, admitted to molesting and psychologically manipulating an adopted child. She violated the child under the cloak of Christianity, citing Bible verses to the victim as justification for the abuse.

Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey Bryant accepted her guilty plea in return for a recommended sentence of only 40 days. Once she is released, Melina McPherson will continue to "parent" her three natural children. Would Harvey Bryant, a Christian conservative, have made the same outrageous plea agreement with any defendant without such close connections to the Christian right?

Mr. Bryant has proclaimed that he has a no plea deal policy for drug dealers and gun offenders. "I do not permit plea bargaining with drug dealers. A drug dealer...has only two choices: plead guilty as charged and let the judge determine sentencing, OR face a jury of citizens who will determine the sentence."

Why is Harvey Bryant willing to make plea deals with certain favored sexual predators when he refuses to do so with other defendants? If the no plea deal policy is justified on deterrence grounds, do we not wish to deter sexual violence. If the no plea deal policy is justified on punitive grounds, is sexual violence a lesser evil than a drug sale? Mr. Bryant: sexual predators are far more dangerous to society than drug offenders.

The McPherson case is not the first involving Christian leaders who have engaged in Biblical distortion to justify the sexual assault and exploitation of children. The acts of Baptist minister Ted Haggard and certain Catholic priests from the Boston Archdiocese raised the issue of sexual abuse

Catholic priests from the Boston Archdiocese raised the issue of sexual abuse within the church to national prominence.

Similarly, distortion of religion for the purpose of advancing evil is not confined to self-proclaimed Christians. Islamic mullahs have issued fatwas directing the murder of infidels. Suicide bombers have justified the murder of civilians through the Koran and a claim that they will receive 72 virgins in paradise.

There is no difference between evil that is falsely justified by Christianity and evil falsely justified by Islam. The person who bastardizes Christianity is no better or worse, no more righteous or damned than the person who bastardizes Islam.

Why do we as Ame...

Catholic priests from the Boston Archdiocese raised the issue of sexual abuse within the church to national prominence.

Similarly, distortion of religion for the purpose of advancing evil is not confined to self-proclaimed Christians. Islamic mullahs have issued fatwas directing the murder of infidels. Suicide bombers have justified the murder of civilians through the Koran and a claim that they will receive 72 virgins in paradise.

There is no difference between evil that is falsely justified by Christianity and evil falsely justified by Islam. The person who bastardizes Christianity is no better or worse, no more righteous or damned than the person who bastardizes Islam.

Why do we as Americans view these two evils differently? Would we permit or condone Harvey Bryant's lenient 40 day plea deal for a Muslim who cited the Koran as justification for molesting an adopted child? Would we believe that the same Muslim would limit her sexual violence to adopted children but would be fit to raise her natural children?

If Harvey Bryant demands that drug dealers plead guilty as charged without a sentencing recommendation, how can he agree to allow a pedophile to serve only 40 days in jail and then get her children back? If a Christian conservative Commonwealth's Attorney would not offer an identical plea deal to a Muslim sexual predator, how can the deal be justified for a Christian?

Our criminal justice system is riddled with inconsistencies. The ideals of America require that we eliminate these inconsistencies and give meaning to the rule of law.

Mark C. Hardman
Candidate for Commonwealth's Attorney
Virginia Beach, Virginia

*I am a Christian. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose on the third day. I am appalled that anyone would bastardize the message of Christ in such a way as did Melina McPherson, Ted Haggard or certain Catholic Priests. I believe that true Muslims are equally appalled by those who distort their faith.