WE NEED TO STRIVE TO KEEP THE BIG PICTURE IN MIND

We all love to make judgements on big and small issues; it’s an innate characteristic of mankind. The trouble is that often it is based on personal biases, gut instinct, brainwashing by others, parental teaching or cultural norms. Self-awareness of this is a wholesome, balancing factor in one’s outlook on life.

Americans distrust Iranians, Iranians distrust Americans and hate Jews, Russians distrust Americans and vice versa, Jews…need I go on? Each accuses the other of wrongdoing; yet listening to them all, they are all right in some ways.

In other ways, they are all guilty. Therefore, no one, really, is fit to stand in judgement.

From my personal point of view, it seems remarkable that a perfect and wise God, nevertheless, has appointed some people to be judges over others! Of course, that judgement should never be based on mere personal bias, gut instinct or other factors mentioned above but on a set of clearly formulated decrees, which have been put into a collection of written laws. The question then arises, what are these laws based upon?

In Wikipedia, Law, Legal Systems, I read the following: “The specific system that a country is ruled by is often determined by its history, connections with other countries, or its adherence to international standards. The sources that jurisdictions adopt as authoritatively binding are the defining features of any legal system.”

Some are based on previous cases, presented for judgement (called Common Law) which hitherto had not been addressed by the written code of law. Others are formulated by law experts and submitted to the appropriate authorities of a specific country (in Australia, our Federal or State Parliaments and Senate) for approval and then included in the existing body of laws, whether federal or state laws.

Reading through Wikipedia’s article on Law, it quickly becomes clear that the question of what law is or ought to be has been hotly debated by many so-called experts and, as is the case with most issues to do with human governance, no final statement has been formulated.

That too is a manifestation of humanity’s lack of consensus on most matters.

Human law, therefore, will always be flawed, yet authoritative and with punitive consequences, if not obeyed. No philosophical argument, nor one based on differing religious tenets can change that.

The Biblical command given in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), is repeated by Jesus Christ: “And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31).

It throws an added, crucial factor into the question of law; the wholehearted devotion of a Christian to his/her God.

The second commandment summarises with a brilliance that only God is capable of, the whole purpose of manmade law!

I am done for now!

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