Would we be behaving better if we had been disciplined better as children? If our society were less tolerant compared to what it is? What do you think?
If you think so, then what do you think caused us to be more lax? Why are we allowed to be less disciplined today? Are we not seeing the benefits of discipline? Or is tolerance and being yourself so overly emphasised today? Maybe it is because we have a general tendency towards being ill-disciplined. What do you think?
Ilda blogged about the lack of discipline in the Philippine environment. She advocates the idea that Philippines would be a better country if people respected the laws better, if people were more obedient and less creative, if people would obey instructions without feeling victimised when told what to do. However, she sees that the present mindset has proliferated the present society, and people are unlikely to change overnight.
Given her thoughts, I think that every society should pull their socks up, and increase in our willingness to follow rules, instead of becoming more slack. Especially Godly rules.
Tim Keller analysed why same-sex acts got the death penalty in the Old Testament days but not today. Originally, it is because that form of union does not reflect God's glory and did not model holiness for society or the world. So for the sake of discipline, such acts were punished - as it still is in some parts of the world. Later on, though, we got into the New Testament era, where the message of grace became stronger than the message of judgement and punishment. So, as this message entered into modern culture, the message of forgiveness and tolerance influenced so many modern societies that we do not punish offenses against God as fiercely as what we used to.
Do you agree with Tim's view?
How do you think we should honour God? Is God a god of judgement or of forgiveness? How do we reconcile the two if God is both?
Why shouldn't we become more lax if God is gracious? Do you have more to add to this question besides what Ilda had written?
What is the way forward for our world?
Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label punishment. Show all posts
31 May 2013
02 February 2013
Grace or Justice
Which is stronger for you? Which should be stronger? Grace or Justice?
Justice says we must punish sin. Wrongs must be corrected. One needs to face the consequences. Always.
Grace says we can love and forgive. Punishments may be withheld. Consequences may be met by somebody else.
It seems that we like justice when we have been victimised. We wish revenge on our oppresssors. We wish that they be punished for their misdeeds, and that everything would be right. We wish that everybody would behave kindly, and not take advantage of us. Those who do, should be brought to justice. Molesters, thieves, cheats and swindlers deserve justice and punishment.
However, there are times when we have wronged somebody and have then been found out. We may have spoken a lie. We may have broken a neighbour's window. We may have been caught speeding. We may have burnt our dinner. In these situations, we wish for forgiveness and grace instead of punishment.
But, if the world were to run on a system of perfect fairness and equality, then we don't deserve any more grace than the people who we think should be brought to justice. Don't you think so? Why should we be pardoned for the offences that we have caused when other people are not?
If everybody were excused from doing what is right, then would people behave worse? Would everybody be "a law to themselves" in a carefree, godless manner of wrongdoing? Or, if everybody were to be brought to justice then who may be spared? For all of us would have done something wrong or caused offences to other people at some stages.
The movie Les Miserables carry some concepts of this tension within it. So does the book of Romans. But what do you think? If God were to hold the world fairly and harmoniously, then how should he dish out justice and grace to everyone?
Justice says we must punish sin. Wrongs must be corrected. One needs to face the consequences. Always.
Grace says we can love and forgive. Punishments may be withheld. Consequences may be met by somebody else.
It seems that we like justice when we have been victimised. We wish revenge on our oppresssors. We wish that they be punished for their misdeeds, and that everything would be right. We wish that everybody would behave kindly, and not take advantage of us. Those who do, should be brought to justice. Molesters, thieves, cheats and swindlers deserve justice and punishment.
However, there are times when we have wronged somebody and have then been found out. We may have spoken a lie. We may have broken a neighbour's window. We may have been caught speeding. We may have burnt our dinner. In these situations, we wish for forgiveness and grace instead of punishment.
But, if the world were to run on a system of perfect fairness and equality, then we don't deserve any more grace than the people who we think should be brought to justice. Don't you think so? Why should we be pardoned for the offences that we have caused when other people are not?
If everybody were excused from doing what is right, then would people behave worse? Would everybody be "a law to themselves" in a carefree, godless manner of wrongdoing? Or, if everybody were to be brought to justice then who may be spared? For all of us would have done something wrong or caused offences to other people at some stages.
The movie Les Miserables carry some concepts of this tension within it. So does the book of Romans. But what do you think? If God were to hold the world fairly and harmoniously, then how should he dish out justice and grace to everyone?
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