Laws

This post might frustrate you or anger you at one point or another.  I’m not trying to cause conflict, but encourage us to focus on Christ in the midst of a conflict that has already been happening. If you’re going to leave a comment, I only ask that you read through everything first. Please, feel free to attack an idea or thought that you disagree with, but don’t make your attacks at me, or other people that might comment here.

I saw an interview a few months back where a group of people were asked, “If you were President, what would you do first?” Most of the responses were so common I’ve already forgotten them.  However, one stood out. “Oh that’s easy.  I’d make everyone a vegan.”

I’m not sure if this person was joking or not.  I can’t envision any circumstance where this would actually work.  Suppose somehow the law actually passed that everyone in our nation had to be vegan, how would they enforce that?  Most of the hard-core meat-eaters that I know hunt for their own meat, and have an amply supply of guns.  Things could get quite messy real fast.

But I don’t think it would ever make it’s way through our system of checks and balances to become a law.  There are far too many people that would point out things like, “You can’t force your way of life on me!” “This is a free country!”

And the rebuttal might be something about how all our nutritional needs can actually be met without meat, eggs, or dairy.  They might point out how people who are vegan tend to be in better physical health than those that are not.  And one of the main arguments that might come up, “Meat is murder.”

Now, we’re getting into a conflict of morals.  What one group defines as murder is far from what another group would call murder.  Many vegans hope to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

But could a law ever cause someone to change their morals? Would a law stop people from eating meat? Could the police enforce veganism?

Not too long ago in our country’s history alcoholism was quite a problem. The Temperance Movement was an attempt to stop the devastation that was happening from excessive drinking.  Most of the social and moral problems of the day were blamed on alcoholism.  A law against it was adopted it in 1919.  But, even though the law was enforced, alcoholism continued.  In fact, in many areas it flourished, and made many rich.  Al Capone gained from the prohibition era.  His annual earnings were estimated at $60,000,000.

In February 1933 Congress adopted a resolution proposing the Twenty-First Amendment to the Constitution to repeal the Eighteenth.  Some states still tried to enforce prohibition, but by 1966 there were no states enforcing it any longer.

Why do I bring this up? I want to point out a few things.  There was a group of people that saw a problem and sought to fight the problem with the law.  But it didn’t work.  The problems persisted.

A few Scriptures come to mind. Romans 8. Galatians 5 and 6 (Actually, all of Galatians, but these chapters help sum it up.)

I realize that these verses are referring to the Old Testament Law.  But I cannot help but see the similarities.  Following the law, and enforcing others to follow the law did not bring people’s hearts to follow God in the past.

Do we really anticipate a law put into effect in our country will stop any sin from happening in our country?

Even if people followed all the laws, we still run the risk of honoring God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him. (Isaiah 29:13)

When I think about the prohibition era, I think there is much to learn.  I think many people have learned from it.  That’s why I love how  groups such as Celebrate Recovery exist and offer help to people that struggle with alcoholism.  Groups like this acknowledge that the only real hope from addiction or sin is Christ Himself.

Some people have realized that the most effective way to actually make this world a better place is not to set up or even enforce a law, but to show people the value of following Christ.  The real difference that Christ can make not just in our actions, but in our hearts.

No law, rule, or sense of guilt made me want to follow Christ.  What made me want to follow Christ was seeing someone else who absolutely loved God with his whole heart.  His entire life reflected the love of Christ. I suspect this is the same for many other people.

So, a few points to consider.

In the past (Old Testament and recent history) laws were not effective at preventing sin from happening, and even when it did, hearts were still far from God.

A line that I hear often is, “The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing yet expect different results.”

If we continue to propose, support, and enforce laws as a way to stop sin from happening or draw hearts to God, do we fit this definition of insanity?

What did Christ do? What does He tell us to do?

Now here’s a tough question.

Will outlawing abortion stop it from happening?

Don’t get me wrong, I am entirely for standing up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.  It is a very big moral issue to me.  But my hope is to be effective as possible.  I think all the effort that Christians put into political efforts against abortion might be better used to set up support groups, birth-control options,  financial assistance, counseling, and even post-abortion counseling and support.

Will outlawing same-sex marriage make our nation a moral nation?

I’ve come across many articles and stories recently of Christians fighting hard to have a homosexual teacher kicked out of a school.  Or parents who won’t allow a same sex couple go to prom together.  The reasoning is usually along the lines of, “I have the freedom to send my child to a moral school.”  Regardless of whether or not homosexuals teach in our schools, we live in a world where sin of every kind abounds.  Can any rule stop any and all sin from continuing? If you have doubts about whether or not homosexuality is a sin or not, here’s a helpful blog that discusses some of the verses about it.

Ultimately, what I’m trying to say here: The only hope for our nation (or any nation) is Jesus; there is no human law that will bring the hope and redemption that Christ brings.