Litigating Religiously

From My Perspective - - -

There is growing evidence that our nation is becoming more litigious-oriented in recent times. The number of “Judge…Shows” on television is just a small indicator that serves as a commentary on the times in which we live and the things for which one has the sense and desire to “sue” (litigate against) someone else. Sometimes there is legitimacy in such actions, but many times it is frivolous and a form of retaliation against another individual or organization. The following are two diverse thoughts to illustrate our times - - -

First: It is interesting that in the midst of the political and economic issues in our nation, a headline on the web-page of Fox News indicates a lawsuit that is religious in nature against the President of the United States. The Headline reads (Madison, Wisconsin: Friday, October 3^rd): “Atheists Sue President Over National Prayer Day”… The article states the following: “The nation's largest group of atheists and agnostics is suing President Bush, the governor of Wisconsin and other officials over the federal law designating a National Day of Prayer. The Freedom From Religion Foundation based in Madison sued Friday in U.S. District Court, arguing that the President's mandated proclamations calling on Americans to pray violates a constitutional ban on government officials endorsing religion.” This group allows that: “The day of prayer, held each year on the first Thursday of May, creates a hostile environment for nonbelievers, who are made to feel as if they are political outsiders…” The Presidential Proclamation issued in 2007 is mild and innocuous. It “…asked God's blessings on our country and called for Americans to observe the day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and activities.” It would be interesting to see this group of Atheists and Agnostics focus – in a non-litigious way - on other issues.

Second: An area of unconcern and neglect pertains to the number of prisoners in our jails and penitentiaries, along with the ancillary needs of the families of those incarcerated. A recent report indicates, “The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's population. But it has almost 25 percent of the world's prisoners…Criminologists and legal scholars in other industrialized nations say they are mystified and appalled by the number and length of American prison sentences. The United States has…2.3 million criminals behind bars, more than any other nation…China, which is four times more populous than the United States, is a distant second, with 1.6 million people in prison. (That number excludes hundreds of thousands of people held in administrative detention, most of them in China's extrajudicial system of re-education through labor)…The United States comes in first, too, on a more meaningful list from the prison studies center… It has 751 people in prison or jail for every 100,000 in population. (If you count only adults, one in 100 Americans is locked up.) The only other major industrialized nation that even comes close is Russia, with 627 prisoners for every 100,000 people. The others have much lower rates. England's rate is 151; Germany's is 88; and Japan's is 63. The median among all nations is about 125, roughly a sixth of the American rate.”

Summation: Many Atheists and Agnostics are among the more intelligent and brilliant people in our nation. It is surprising that they would subject themselves to being placed under a Biblical observation and the indicting words, namely: (Psalm 14:1) “The fool says in his heart, There is no God…” And then, there is the other consideration of those incarcerated for various crimes. The Biblical recommendation/mandate is, Hebrews 13:3 where we read: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated...” The context would suggest these are the persecuted, etc. but a principle for care and outreach toward all is also there.

Consider these things with me - - - Be a person who prays always! Be a person of compassion for those who have erred along the way. Perhaps your Prayer, Care and Compassion would be the turning point for some wandering or searching soul. God will honor such concern – rewarding you with blessing, and His own Great Name with Glory.