Are You Symbolic of Society's Degradation?
I'm feeling like I'm in a prophetic mood. (No, I am NOT a prophet, nor am I making any claims that way!) That is to say, I'm feeling preachy, like putting things into black and white, and railing against the lack of integrity that has crept into our society. So if you don't want to risk possibly being included in the group at which the wrath in this post is directed, stop reading NOW.
Still reading? Ok, here goes. Picture this scenario: you are driving quite a bit faster than the posted speed limit, and as you are zipping along a car coming in the opposite direction flashes their lights at you, suggesting a cop is up ahead somewhere. Grateful for the warning, you slow down, and sure enough, you soon pass a police car on the side of the road. Wanting to follow the Golden Rule, and help out someone else like you have just been helped, after a bend in the road makes you invisible to the cop you flash your lights to warn cars about to drive into the speed trap.
Is this behavior really an appropriate application of the Golden Rule? Are you being Christlike to warn others to slow down? No. You are what is wrong with society. You are making it more difficult for the authorities in power to see that the rule of law is enforced. And you are wrong. It would be much better if no oncoming car had warned you, and that you had gotten a 300 dollar speeding ticket. You are a danger to society, and you are encouraging people to act dangerously. How can you live with acting that way? The rule of law ought to be upheld. Warning others is not following the golden rule, unless giving someone a tip about how they can rob a bank without getting caught is also following the golden rule. (In case you are wondering, it isn't!)
My thinking is based on the following facts.
1. Unless a law contradicts a biblical principal or command of God, either via general revelation or personal revelation, we ought to follow it.
2. If you are jamming on the brakes when warned about a police officer ahead, you are breaking the law. Your fear of getting caught proves that you know this. And since you know you are a law breaker, this is a spiritual problem as well as a threat to society. When the rule of law is not upheld, society will disintegrate. When you violate a law for no good reason, and knowlingly, you are disobeying the New Testament command to respect the law and lawful authorities.
3. Larger problems will develop within a society if disrespect for the law increases beyond "less significant" laws like obeying the posted speed limit.
4. Not only is this a social and spiritual problem, but you are posing a danger to others, and encouraging others in dangerous behavior. The risk of accident is much greater when you drive significantly over the speed limit. If you warn others to slow down simply because there is a cop about, their speed will only decrease as long as they think an officer is near.
5. It would be a very good thing for speeders to get caught. Isn't a speeding ticket more likely to significantly alter a pattern of dangerous driving (speeding)? If not that, then what? An accident that kills someone else?
Personally, I often wish that anyone who whizzes by me at 5 mph or faster than the speed I'm driving at will be pulled over and nailed for speeding. I practically yearn for the day when I will see every speeder at the side of the road with those lovely blue lights flashing. Part of this might be carnal, but I think part of it is healthy. It's simply wanting to see justice served, and the rule of law upheld. Why should I obey the law while others don't and get away with it? They shouldn't get away with it.
I wonder sometimes if those who speed badly justify their behavior for breaking the law by reasoning something like this: the speed limit isn't really practical. No one follows it. Those who advocate following it are hypocrites, for even they drive 5 mph over. It is just a matter of finding a comfortable speed over the limit, and sticking with that (whether it be 10, 12, 15, or 20 mph over). The roads are really designed for speeds higher than the posted limit, so I'm really not a danger to anyone to drive a bit faster. I'm not really THAT bad of a driver, for sometimes other cars drive by me. I'm much better than others. They are the real speeders. If I'm given a ticket, it won't be fair, for the cops missed several others who are worse.
I harken back to a great piece of advice from my FBI teacher, Mr. M. You should only drive at a speed that you won't alter a bit should you see a police officer. This does not always mean the speed limit. But it means that your conscience is clean, for you believe it is in keeping with the spirit of the law.
Flashing your lights to warn others of a police officer is not only promoting danger, lawbreaking, and probably even a sin. It is also a sign of a general "us versus authority" mentality that is all to present in our world today. I see it among high school students a lot, and it irritates me to no end. How many students will report cheating among their peers? Virtually no one. How many will report any "minor" rules violation of their peers? Virtually no one. Why not? It's because there's an unwritten code of behavior out there that "ratting" is a terrible sin. And promoting justice by reporting such violations is definitely "ratting." Makes me think about the Bible verse that says men will call evil good and good evil. It definitely applies here. The good that is helping to uphold law by volunteering information (at least when directly asked) is seen as gross misconduct, and liable sometimes to get you beat up. How sick is this?
Obviously there has to be a balance to this. I'm not suggesting we have a police state, where everyone is encouraged to be a tattletale and informant on their neighbor. But cheating is a good example of the kind of behavior that should be reported. At least if you are directly asked if you know of anyone who cheated.
It seems like I had some more thoughts to add on this, but now my momentum in writing this seems to be fizzling. I've probably said enough. Is speeding the worst social ill out there? No. Should we put cameras up everywhere to limit speeding? Probably not. I just wish that people's hearts were all in a place where they respected law enough to follow it even if no one is watching. After all, that's what character is, isn't it? I'm not surprised to see a lack of character in nonbelievers. But I hope it is not present in believers. If it is, I would suggest that those believers are also symbolic of society's degradation...
Still reading? Ok, here goes. Picture this scenario: you are driving quite a bit faster than the posted speed limit, and as you are zipping along a car coming in the opposite direction flashes their lights at you, suggesting a cop is up ahead somewhere. Grateful for the warning, you slow down, and sure enough, you soon pass a police car on the side of the road. Wanting to follow the Golden Rule, and help out someone else like you have just been helped, after a bend in the road makes you invisible to the cop you flash your lights to warn cars about to drive into the speed trap.
Is this behavior really an appropriate application of the Golden Rule? Are you being Christlike to warn others to slow down? No. You are what is wrong with society. You are making it more difficult for the authorities in power to see that the rule of law is enforced. And you are wrong. It would be much better if no oncoming car had warned you, and that you had gotten a 300 dollar speeding ticket. You are a danger to society, and you are encouraging people to act dangerously. How can you live with acting that way? The rule of law ought to be upheld. Warning others is not following the golden rule, unless giving someone a tip about how they can rob a bank without getting caught is also following the golden rule. (In case you are wondering, it isn't!)
My thinking is based on the following facts.
1. Unless a law contradicts a biblical principal or command of God, either via general revelation or personal revelation, we ought to follow it.
2. If you are jamming on the brakes when warned about a police officer ahead, you are breaking the law. Your fear of getting caught proves that you know this. And since you know you are a law breaker, this is a spiritual problem as well as a threat to society. When the rule of law is not upheld, society will disintegrate. When you violate a law for no good reason, and knowlingly, you are disobeying the New Testament command to respect the law and lawful authorities.
3. Larger problems will develop within a society if disrespect for the law increases beyond "less significant" laws like obeying the posted speed limit.
4. Not only is this a social and spiritual problem, but you are posing a danger to others, and encouraging others in dangerous behavior. The risk of accident is much greater when you drive significantly over the speed limit. If you warn others to slow down simply because there is a cop about, their speed will only decrease as long as they think an officer is near.
5. It would be a very good thing for speeders to get caught. Isn't a speeding ticket more likely to significantly alter a pattern of dangerous driving (speeding)? If not that, then what? An accident that kills someone else?
Personally, I often wish that anyone who whizzes by me at 5 mph or faster than the speed I'm driving at will be pulled over and nailed for speeding. I practically yearn for the day when I will see every speeder at the side of the road with those lovely blue lights flashing. Part of this might be carnal, but I think part of it is healthy. It's simply wanting to see justice served, and the rule of law upheld. Why should I obey the law while others don't and get away with it? They shouldn't get away with it.
I wonder sometimes if those who speed badly justify their behavior for breaking the law by reasoning something like this: the speed limit isn't really practical. No one follows it. Those who advocate following it are hypocrites, for even they drive 5 mph over. It is just a matter of finding a comfortable speed over the limit, and sticking with that (whether it be 10, 12, 15, or 20 mph over). The roads are really designed for speeds higher than the posted limit, so I'm really not a danger to anyone to drive a bit faster. I'm not really THAT bad of a driver, for sometimes other cars drive by me. I'm much better than others. They are the real speeders. If I'm given a ticket, it won't be fair, for the cops missed several others who are worse.
I harken back to a great piece of advice from my FBI teacher, Mr. M. You should only drive at a speed that you won't alter a bit should you see a police officer. This does not always mean the speed limit. But it means that your conscience is clean, for you believe it is in keeping with the spirit of the law.
Flashing your lights to warn others of a police officer is not only promoting danger, lawbreaking, and probably even a sin. It is also a sign of a general "us versus authority" mentality that is all to present in our world today. I see it among high school students a lot, and it irritates me to no end. How many students will report cheating among their peers? Virtually no one. How many will report any "minor" rules violation of their peers? Virtually no one. Why not? It's because there's an unwritten code of behavior out there that "ratting" is a terrible sin. And promoting justice by reporting such violations is definitely "ratting." Makes me think about the Bible verse that says men will call evil good and good evil. It definitely applies here. The good that is helping to uphold law by volunteering information (at least when directly asked) is seen as gross misconduct, and liable sometimes to get you beat up. How sick is this?
Obviously there has to be a balance to this. I'm not suggesting we have a police state, where everyone is encouraged to be a tattletale and informant on their neighbor. But cheating is a good example of the kind of behavior that should be reported. At least if you are directly asked if you know of anyone who cheated.
It seems like I had some more thoughts to add on this, but now my momentum in writing this seems to be fizzling. I've probably said enough. Is speeding the worst social ill out there? No. Should we put cameras up everywhere to limit speeding? Probably not. I just wish that people's hearts were all in a place where they respected law enough to follow it even if no one is watching. After all, that's what character is, isn't it? I'm not surprised to see a lack of character in nonbelievers. But I hope it is not present in believers. If it is, I would suggest that those believers are also symbolic of society's degradation...
posted by redsoxwinthisyear at 10:12 PM
2 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
This comment has been removed by the author.
Post a Comment
<< Home