From the very beginning, I should make something clear. I'm fairly pessimistic about the role of laws and rules as they pertain to our lives in the world. Not that I think we should do without them, but my experience in life has been that, if someone wants to break a rule or law, they probably will, and the likelihood is that they will also get away with it. I've seen far too many people not truly stop at stop signs, or run through red lights, to think that people will respond only because there happens to be a law or rule in place. On a far more tragic scale, the recent shootings that have taken place in our nation show us that people will disregard the rules and laws, even when it comes down to life and death situations.
Passing more laws or rules will not serve to change culture and society. True, from an outward viewpoint, it may help curb some expressions of disobedience, but for the person who is truly set on doing something, a law will simply not stop them. Plus, I think we would all have to admit that we keep the rules or laws that are in place for different reasons. Take a speed limit, for example. There are some who will stick to the limit simply because that's what the law says. They won't know why the law says that the limit is what it is, but that's just what you are supposed to do. Others will try to discover the reason for the law. A school zone speed limit is in place to show our care and concern for the children who may be walking there. That desire to care for our neighbor (love our neighbor) then becomes the reason for keeping the law. Another person might keep the law simply because they are afraid of being pulled over by the police and having to pay a fine. And yet another person may try to see just how much they can stretch the law before they get caught, seeing just how much they can get away with.
Rules and laws may help to make society good, but they do not get to the heart of the person. They simply describe what is acceptable behavior. They do not get to the intentions of the heart and soul within the person. And it is for this reason that we cannot judge a person's goodness or lack of goodness upon the mere keeping of the law.
Some people will keep the law, not out of care for others, but just to prove that they are a good person. They don't do it for the benefit of others, but for the benefit of their own personal reputation. While we see their "good works", we also realize that their good works are done with an eye toward themselves.
Other people will look at the law, see that it tells them something that they don't want to hear, and then that law will drive them even further in the opposite direction. If the law says to drive 65, they will drive 80 just because they like the thrill of "getting away with it". Sure, they may tap on the brakes when they see the police car sitting on the side of the road, but overall, they throw the law in the face of others, and don't care if it is an inconvenience to others.
I could keep on going on, but by now, I hope you get the point. Simply passing more rules and laws, or even placing a greater emphasis on the ones already in place, just will not serve to bring about the change that we see that needs to be brought about. So what will bring about that kind of change? We'll investigate that coming up.
Passing more laws or rules will not serve to change culture and society. True, from an outward viewpoint, it may help curb some expressions of disobedience, but for the person who is truly set on doing something, a law will simply not stop them. Plus, I think we would all have to admit that we keep the rules or laws that are in place for different reasons. Take a speed limit, for example. There are some who will stick to the limit simply because that's what the law says. They won't know why the law says that the limit is what it is, but that's just what you are supposed to do. Others will try to discover the reason for the law. A school zone speed limit is in place to show our care and concern for the children who may be walking there. That desire to care for our neighbor (love our neighbor) then becomes the reason for keeping the law. Another person might keep the law simply because they are afraid of being pulled over by the police and having to pay a fine. And yet another person may try to see just how much they can stretch the law before they get caught, seeing just how much they can get away with.
Rules and laws may help to make society good, but they do not get to the heart of the person. They simply describe what is acceptable behavior. They do not get to the intentions of the heart and soul within the person. And it is for this reason that we cannot judge a person's goodness or lack of goodness upon the mere keeping of the law.
Some people will keep the law, not out of care for others, but just to prove that they are a good person. They don't do it for the benefit of others, but for the benefit of their own personal reputation. While we see their "good works", we also realize that their good works are done with an eye toward themselves.
Other people will look at the law, see that it tells them something that they don't want to hear, and then that law will drive them even further in the opposite direction. If the law says to drive 65, they will drive 80 just because they like the thrill of "getting away with it". Sure, they may tap on the brakes when they see the police car sitting on the side of the road, but overall, they throw the law in the face of others, and don't care if it is an inconvenience to others.
I could keep on going on, but by now, I hope you get the point. Simply passing more rules and laws, or even placing a greater emphasis on the ones already in place, just will not serve to bring about the change that we see that needs to be brought about. So what will bring about that kind of change? We'll investigate that coming up.
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