Attention Word Slingers readers: Beginning December 11, 2019, all posts will be available at BaptistMessenger.com. Thank you for reading Word Slingers!

Accusations from women claiming to have been sexually assaulted by beloved actor Bill Cosby have cast a dark cloud over the universally-admired comedian.

In America’s courts, our laws say “innocent until proven guilty,” yet in the court of public opinion, society sometimes says “innocent until accused.”

Therefore, we must be resist jumping to conclusions and let time tell if there is any truth to these accusations, which seems so contrary to what we know about Cosby. If they are confirmed in any way, though, an icon of fatherhood in America would be crushed.

Just as “Ward Cleaver” or “Andy Griffith” represented what godly, respectable TV fathers should be for Baby Boomers, Bill Cosby’s “Heathcliff Huxtable” was that for my generation, Gen X.

To this day, our family watches re-runs of The Cosby Show. The warmth and affection “Dr. Huxtable” shows for his wife “Claire” was something special and appealing. The wisdom—and good-natured humor—with which he parented his children amid the wackiest of life situations provided inspiration to millions of men.

Yet like all TV shows, the reality is often not all it seems. Indeed, life promises no happy endings for every episode. Yet God promises something much more.

He is the Heavenly Father who never could disappoint. He is the perfect example of how a father should be. And in sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins and rise again, God provides the ultimate happy ending for those who place their trust in Him.

No accusations on the news or scandal can topple those promises. Here’s praying for all those involved in the Cosby scandal, and here’s a reminder that no person is sinless, save Jesus Christ alone.