Scripture: The Key to the Perfect Society
This is part 3 in my series on the Scriptures. (Read Part 1 and Part 2)
For the sake of clarity, I’m referring to society here as a governmental system, it’s laws, policies, and enforcement which establish the structure in which a nation of people operate.
History has presented us with many, many differing theories of government, and theories on how the ideal society ought to function. Here in the United States we find ourselves living in what is considered to be one of the most successful systems of government ever conceived. Democracy. The level of freedom offered by this system is one of it’s greatest advantages, paving the way for opportunity, peace, and equality.
And yet…
Our government today features some of the most significant failures in history. We slaughter innocent children, let criminals go free, glorify greed, ignore(even criminalize) those living in the despair of addictions. Worse than that, the middle and upper class do their very best to ignore the poor, and work hard to isolate themselves from the “uncomfortable elements” of the society they themselves created.
What are the possible solutions? Let’s look at some of the solutions I often hear promoted.
- They(the bad elements of our society) just need Jesus.
This one sounds really good, and makes us all feel all warm n’ fuzzy. It even has an element of truth to it. Our society would indeed be better off if everyone believed in Jesus. But it doesn’t address the governmental problems because it doesn’t take into account those who choose not to follow Jesus. There will always be those who choose not to, and Jesus even says that the majority will not follow Him. It is important to remember that a government is put in place to limit those who choose to do wrong, or infringe on others freedom. Therefore, pretending that evil on earth can be eradicated, or ignored doesn’t ultimately solve any problems.
- Stricter laws
Yep, that’ll do the trick. Our laws are actually pretty strict as it is, and it hasn’t solved anything.
- Better enforcement of the law.
While the court system could definitely use an overhaul, it hands down an unprecedented number of sentences every year without reducing crime one bit.
- Another government system, such as socialism, monarchy, dictatorship, communism, etc.
All of these have been tried in history without success. Time and again these systems fail, many times with poverty, crime, and death spiraling out of control. Why don’t these, and other similar, systems work? These systems fail ultimately because their vision of an ideal society fails to accurately take into account the human soul, it’s failings, and it’s motivations. Many theories of government assume the ultimate goodness of humans, or at the other end of the spectrum, assume that we tend towards evil and stupidity, and therefore must be controlled.
Another way!
So if all these systems fail to create a well balanced society, what hope do we have? If only God had told us what His idea of a perfect society should look like! It occurs to me that He did indeed outline this perfect society, in what many consider the most dry and boring section of the Scriptures: The books of the law(Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Leviticus). In those pages you will find some of the most refreshing ideas and principles of government. When I read the Israelite laws, I see so many revolutionary principles that could solve the problems that we see in the world around us. These principles transcend religion, cultures, and customs. They take into account our failings, our weaknesses, our strengths, and our desire for good.
What is so unique about these ideas? They require personal responsibility, restitution for crimes, strict crime deterrents for small crimes(where all criminals start!). The judicial system has safeguards against corruption, and fair trade is enforced impartially. Every single person has access to the judicial system without regard for class, education, or money. Capital punishment is prescribed(with safeguards) for many significant crimes. This punishment alone makes many people see the overall system as barbaric, and useless in these modern and “enlightened” times. What they fail to see is that the principle in use here is one of deterring crimes. Can you imagine how drastically the crime rate would go down, if criminals didn’t have to worry about going to jail, but rather about losing their life?
In a biblical system of law, jails are made obsolete. Instead full restitution(plus a little) is required, and the person is allowed to return to society having gained nothing, and having learned that crime literally doesn’t pay
Imagine the reduced financial toll on our country, if prisons were no longer necessary. I saw an unconfirmed statistic today that said one in 31 people in the United States are or have been incarcerated. This means that 30 people are paying, in taxes, for someone who should be paying for himself. It seems like we’re punishing the wrong people for the crime.
There are many more ways that the biblical laws could transform our(or any) society. In the near future, I will create a separate series to go into greater detail, and challenge the status quo of our current system.
It is important to remember that this is not just a mental exercise, or wishful thinking, but a real solution to the problems that ail our governmental system. Think about it, a nearly 4,000 year old system of government that is still relevant today. Wow! It’s almost as if God knew what He was doing!