Redeeming Untouchables

There is the macabre joke about the man who goes to a priest and says, "Forgive me, Father, for I have murdered." The priest says, "Bless you, my son. How many?" There is a lot of truth in this joke, though. Priests and ministers will often minister to people who have failed in the eyes of God, humanity, and their own closest circle. OBSERVATION: It seems a strange way of thinking, because one seeks to help people, even redeem them, who one might think have lost all right to that. But this principle is to some extent built into our political systems, too. For example, even the villain receives medical help.