Curing a Sick Society

by Floyd A. Turner

Time brings changes.

Think of how different our lifestyles are today than they were earlier in this century. Cars and airplanes have increased our mobility. Electricity has brought more conveniences in our homes and businesses. Computers have linked us to people and resources in nearly every country around the globe. Medical science has improved our health and lengthened the average life span.

Much of this knowledge can be placed on the plus side of the ledger, toward making life easier and better. But minuses weigh heavily on the other side.

Minuses

Crime and a general disrespect for the rights and well-being of others have worsened alarmingly. Jails are overcrowded; mental institutions house patients who suffer from depression and emotional disorders. Homes are breaking up and people are turning to drugs and alcohol to escape their problems.

A few years ago we heard that the world was getting better. Because of our gain in knowledge, we were making this planet a better place in which to live. Man was able to solve all his physical problems but can't cope with the spiritual side of life by himself. As a result, society is sick.

Forsaking God

There are two important reasons for our society's unhappiness and crime.

First, we have forsaken God. The more we leave God out of our way of life, the greater our problems will be.

The person who recognizes God as the supreme Ruler in his destiny lives by restraints that make him more satisfied with himself and more compatible with others. The standards God has established give spiritual hope and a proper sense of justice among people. The person who recognizes that God is watching and who wants to please Him is going to live an honorable life.

Proverbs 8:13 says, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil."

David, who wrote many of the Bible's psalms, made this observation about the wicked: "There is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes, when he finds out his iniquity and when he hates" (Psalm 36:1, 2).

No fear

The second reason for our society's decline is that too many people have lost their fear and respect for law and order.

The percentage of lawbreakers and violent people is a relatively small proportion of the total population, but these make living difficult for those who seek peaceful lives. Part of the problem is that the lawbreaker has lost his fear of consequences in the courts of law.

Bank robbers rob more banks while they are out on bail for previous offenses and often are never brought to trial for many of their crimes. One news item told of a murderer who was released by the court because the policeman who arrested him asked the wrong questions before he told him of his constitutional rights. The murderer's obvious guilt made no difference; he was released from custody without punishment.

Such incidents happen all too often, resulting in disrespect for the authority of our justice system.

The situation is like the deterioration of justice among the Israelites in the time of the judges. The Bible says, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). That is a dangerous condition for any society to be governed by.

A stronger government

Government is for our good and needs to be strengthened. Paul, a missionary for Christ, admonished us that "Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. . . . Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake" (Romans 13:3, 5).

Good government is a tremendous aid to the personal security and prosperity of its citizens. Even a mediocre government is better than no government at all. We are thankful for a democracy and for the things it has done to promote our quality of life. Though we feel our democratic system has slipped from some of its old standards, we sense the real need to add our efforts to those of others who are trying to restore its strengths.

Conclusion

The most important consideration in curing today's social problems is in teaching people to know God and to live by His rules. People who live to please God will treat their neighbors humanely and honestly. Service to God will result in a happier, more compatible society for all.

The apostle Peter summarized our meditations well: "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king" (1 Peter 2:17).

A version of this article appeared in a past issue of the Bible Advocate magazine. For a free subscription, contact us at bibleadvocate@cog7.org.

Floyd A. Turner, a former editor of the Bible Advocate, lives in Freeland, MI. Scripture quotations were taken from the New King James Version.

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