An article on the August 17th New York Times described a situation that is unheard of today. In fact, when I first read it, I thought "Naaaaaaaaaaa...no way, that didn't happen." But in fact, it did.
This is what happened. A 19 year old, Ryan Cushing, was charged with assault for "tossing a turkey through a car windshield last fall." The driver of that car suffered severe injuries and was forced to undergo many hours of surgery to rebuild the broken bones in her face.
To make a long story short, the victim, Ms. Ruvolo, insisted that the prosecutors show mercy by granting a plea bargain. What could have been up to 25 years in prison is 6 months in jail and five years probation.
Some are attributing her compassion to a religious motivation. The article suggests that her "impulse may have been entirely secular." But I disagree that there can be a "secular rationale" for showing grace and mercy. Understanding man as having been created in the image of God explains why man acts in ways that are reflective of God's character.
