Evil
Wednesday, 04/18/2007
If only we could legislate away the existence of evil...
.but evil is impossible to legislate.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to abuse children, yet daily children are mentally, physically and sexually abused.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to drive under the influence, yet daily people are killed and maimed when individuals climb behind the wheel of their auto while under the influence.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to rape another, yet daily both women and men are subjected to the trauma of rape.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to murder, yet daily people are violently murdered.
With the recent bloodshed on the Virginia Tech campus on 04/16, some will look at this as an opportunity to jump up on their soapboxes, pound their chests and scream for new legislation. New legislation may be passed, which would be followed by more chest pounding and "songs of praise" for the "good" that was done to protect us from evil. But the reality remains, it is impossible to legislate away the existence of evil.
Though morality may be culturally defined, evil is universally recognized. No country, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, past or present, has found a way to legislate evil.
There are thousands of state and federal laws on the books legislating the manufacture, sale and use of firearms. There are more laws dictating the manufacture, sale and use of firearms in the United States than laws controlling the production, sale and use of pharmaceuticals or than laws controlling the production, sale and consumption of food. New laws will do nothing to legislate away the existence of evil.
Change can happen, but it will only happen after we look in the mirror and realize the finger we point is pointed at ourselves. Change will happen when we all take a few moments to get down on our knees each day, when we spend more time with our families, when we extend our hand to someone in need, when we offer a kind word and share a friendly smile, when we are willing to help, when we eliminate the soil where the seeds of evil root. We may never defeat evil, but we can minimize it's influence.
If only it were possible to legislate evil, the existence of evil would have disappeared long ago. Sadly, evil is not governed by the laws that govern man.
Is it possible that the laws that govern man make it even easier for evil to cause harm? My answer is a resounding YES.
Brad Kraywinkel
If only we could legislate away the existence of evil...
.but evil is impossible to legislate.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to abuse children, yet daily children are mentally, physically and sexually abused.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to drive under the influence, yet daily people are killed and maimed when individuals climb behind the wheel of their auto while under the influence.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to rape another, yet daily both women and men are subjected to the trauma of rape.
We have numerous laws making it illegal to murder, yet daily people are violently murdered.
With the recent bloodshed on the Virginia Tech campus on 04/16, some will look at this as an opportunity to jump up on their soapboxes, pound their chests and scream for new legislation. New legislation may be passed, which would be followed by more chest pounding and "songs of praise" for the "good" that was done to protect us from evil. But the reality remains, it is impossible to legislate away the existence of evil.
Though morality may be culturally defined, evil is universally recognized. No country, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, past or present, has found a way to legislate evil.
There are thousands of state and federal laws on the books legislating the manufacture, sale and use of firearms. There are more laws dictating the manufacture, sale and use of firearms in the United States than laws controlling the production, sale and use of pharmaceuticals or than laws controlling the production, sale and consumption of food. New laws will do nothing to legislate away the existence of evil.
Change can happen, but it will only happen after we look in the mirror and realize the finger we point is pointed at ourselves. Change will happen when we all take a few moments to get down on our knees each day, when we spend more time with our families, when we extend our hand to someone in need, when we offer a kind word and share a friendly smile, when we are willing to help, when we eliminate the soil where the seeds of evil root. We may never defeat evil, but we can minimize it's influence.
If only it were possible to legislate evil, the existence of evil would have disappeared long ago. Sadly, evil is not governed by the laws that govern man.
Is it possible that the laws that govern man make it even easier for evil to cause harm? My answer is a resounding YES.
Brad Kraywinkel
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there was just some study released in england showing that people were safer when in an area where most of the traffic laws, signs, lights were removed. 0
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