Godless Girl

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Christians declare God’s perfect justice (Zephaniah 3:5 [show] The LORD within her is righteous; he does no injustice; every morning he shows forth his justice; each dawn he does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame.
; Psalm 37:28 [show] For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
; 2 Thess 1:6-9 [show] since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, (ESV)
). But how does God measure up against the imperfect American justice system?

YHWH’s Justice

You are guilty until proven innocent. The laws you are supposed to follow were collected over time thousands of years ago in another culture, but you’re screwed because the laws can’t be amended, reviewed, or doubted. You were born guilty–deserving eternal torture and punishment for something you cannot control. The only way for you to be saved from this terrible pain and suffering is for the judge to kill an innocent person instead of the guilty one. But don’t worry, the innocent guy only stays dead for three days, so it’s only a really bad weekend.

American Justice

You are innocent until proven guilty. The laws you have to follow are agreed upon by your local/state/federal governments instead of just one person; if there is confusion, there will be a final word on what’s okay or not okay to do. Revisions are also possible for the betterment of society. If falsely accused for a crime you did not commit, you can appeal to a higher court. You have a right to be judged by a jury of your peers. You cannot be prosecuted for thought crime. Punishments are not eternal, and only the criminals are punished for their own actions.

P.S. I admit, we all know the American justice system is a bit messy; but its ideals are still better than the theocratic alternative. Oh, and if you’re not American, I’m pretty sure your scenario would be very similar. That is, unless you’re from North Korea.

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009, 6:09 pm   |   christianity, god, religion  |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback